shortened top beak in hatchlings

[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

This is the first time it has happened to me.  Out of a hatch of 42 chicks in a Hovabator, three hatched with shorter top beaks.  It is as if the pipping hook was missing.  The bottom beak protruded only a 16th of an inch but still not acceptable.

I am thinking that this may have been due to faulty incubator temp and RH fluctuation as it was my oldest 1588.  

Any ideas?

Pat

[Sigo]

Absolutely it was the temperature.  This happened to a friend of mine who got a batch of croooked feet.  75 chicks gone off to auction with their hideous little feet...the worst he had to kill as they could not stand.

Best Regards, Sigo

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[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

Thanks for the info, Sigo.  Although so sad to hear about your friend's terrible experience.  For the price of a new 1588, it is not worth trying to fix, or sticking with, an old model.

I love these birds too much.  

Pat

[Sigo]

I don't have a fancy incubator, just a Hovabator, but I guess 1588 are all about these days?  One thing I am seeing a lot of is the Reptipro incubators.  I don't know how good they are but they upright cases and I've heard that's supposed to be better than my horizontal.

Best Regards, Sigo

[Pam Marietta]

FWIW a friend of ours has had fantastic hatches of turkeys, quail and chickens with the incubator in the link below. I think he paid $160 but it’s out there for as low as $124. The only downside is that the display is in Celsius so he had to print out a conversion table.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTOMATIC-EGG-INCUBATOR-CHICKEN-INCUBATOR-POULTRY-HATCHER-INCUBATORS-p5-/390628407664?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af3447970

 

Pam

 

 

From: dom_...@googlegroups.com [mailto:dom_...@googlegroups.com]
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 7:24 PM
To: dom_...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [DOM_BIRD] shortened top beak in hatchlings

 

Thanks for the info, Sigo.  Although so sad to hear about your friend's terrible experience.  For the price of a new 1588, it is not worth trying to fix, or sticking with, an old model.

[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

I think I have heard about that upright, but its very expensive I think.

I also use a Brinsea 40DX.  It works very well as far as hatching goes, but somewhat difficult to see inside due to the design of the windows.  You have the choice of having them turn on their sides or upright.  I especially like the Hovabator for a hatcher for last three days because its easy to lower the temp a bit and raise humidity.  I use cardboard egg cartons cut into 4 hole sections, punch a hole in the bottom, and stand the eggs due to hatch them.  Another advantage is that as I discard an old incubtor top, I keep the bottom half.  it makes it handy to set up the spare and transfer eggs to that bottom and just move the top onto it.  I do rolling hatches and therefore need to clean the bottom half often even though eggs are still hatching.  

cost wise, it would be too expensive to have this many units available.

[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

I have one of these but haven't used it yet as I got it last summer after the hatching season was over.  Thanks for reminding me!  Its down in the basement and I need to get it going!

I also paid $124 or less.

-----Original Message-----
From: Pam Marietta <chkn...@gmail.com>
To: dom_bird <dom_...@googlegroups.com>

[Dennis]

It looks interesting and possibly a good deal, but with Chinese junk there are always pros and cons. 

The unit shown has a built-in hygrometer which is a big plus.  There is also a hole in the side of the incubator so you can use the "adding water tool".  Other than that, there doesn't seem to be any way to actually control the humidity.  That's not good.

All in all it does look like it would be a good incubator at least mechanically.  Being that the controller is electronic, my greatest fear would be the typical Chinese firmware would crash midway into an incubation cycle and ruin all the eggs.  The lack of a way to make it display Fahrenheit instead of Celsius is a clue to the quality of their firmware.

Dennis.

[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

I agree about the question of quality in Chinese products.  None of the Hovabators have an adding water tool.  I find that easy to deal with by just lifting up the cover and dumping it into the designated wells.  Also I use small make up sponges inside if humidity is low.  It is so humid here in VT this time of year that humidity is not a problem.

English products have the opposite reputation, that being that they make quality products.  HOWEVER, my Brinsea 40 DX had a mechanical breakdown at one end where the cradle sets into the end braces.  It was a tiny little piece of plastic that gave out near the arm mechanism that tilts the cradle.  Very expensive unit, very cheap part.  Fortunately with the help of my local hardware store, we jerry rigged a tiny screw and nut situation and it worked fine.  

I will try a batch of eggs in the Chinese bator that I can afford to lose.  The Celsius issue is insignificant as once you calculate the Farenheit equivalent you put a post it note there and its easy to read.  The Brinsea has both C and F.

Pat

[Michele Bee]

After giving away a Chinese 150 cc scooter (and apologizing to the recipient as I did for the frustration I knew would ensue) because it was in the shop more than at my home, I have promised myself never again will I buy anything mechanical from China. Never.

[Pam Marietta]

Our friend just raves abt it. This is his first year hatching and he has had remarkable success – hatch after hatch. His wife just kept saying “Where are you going to put all of these birds?”

 

Hope you have good luck with yours.

 

Pam

[Cock-A-Doodle-Do]

I'll get back to the group with results. Already benefitting from the dom-birds!  I had forgotten about that unit!

Pat

-----Original Message-----
From: Pam Marietta <chkn...@gmail.com>
To: dom_bird <dom_...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jul 2, 2014 12:16 am
Subject: RE: [DOM_BIRD] shortened top beak in hatchlings