I have my R-Com 20 incubator....

[handlemecarefully]

....and DofNB, if you are not a little too busy (giving birth for instance - must be around now?) I would appreciate a few simple instructions.

I am probably being a little obtuse (although having a 4 and 5 year old constantly around haranguing me isn't helping)- and having looked at the operating instructions I am not overly confident.

What temperature and humidity should the R-Com be set at before I start incubating eggs? What else do I need to consider before starting?

HMC, we were over your way yesterday on a day trip, I said to DH I could have dropped you some eggs off.

Sorry I can't be of help with the r-com. DofNB has had her baby - I have been stalking her and saw her post on the May antenatal thread (I have been offline for a few days and it was the my first thought today).

Oh that's lovely news - will check the thread

Hello hmc & mehga! Sorry, I have been busy - gorgeous newborn in the house to coo over! Anyway, back to the chickens...

Heat stays at 37.5c throughout the hatch. I put the humidity at 45% and increased it to 60% on day 18/19. I also turned the 'turning' function off on day 19 (press SET & TURNING and the light goes off). As advised by PPH and these temperatures have worked for both of us. PPH has last years RCom which has the 'waffle' wet cloth thing in it, I have this years version which just has a water tray that you fill from plug on top and the polystyrene ball floats up when it's full.

Also, the eggs do lay on their long sides in the universal tray. There is no way I'd get 20 of my hens big eggs in this incubator and from the black & white pictures the eggs do look like they are tip up. But I checked with P&T Poultry. And don't put the plastic dividers to tight to the eggs or they won't turn over.

Before you start, press the turning function just to make sure it works. If not, you may have to take the top of the unit off and check that the turning tray is on properly (flat grey plastic thing).

I think that covers the things I wasn't sure about. And I will be around during the next few days and will check thread.

Good luck with it!!!

LOL - Congratulations DoN!

Thanks DoNB

And huge warm affectionate (oops going OTT now) congratulations on the birth of your baby boy - I hope you'll post some pictures soon

have you put anything in it yet? my 9 chicks doing well, we may also be getting a lone chick from dd1s teacher who had a disastrous incubator experience.

and i think one of my silver sussex hens is broody....

Yes I put 13 eggs in it last Thursday (the day after I got it) - I was sent 12 mixed eggs by P&T Poultry and added one of my own laid that morning. Next time I 'incubate' I will save my own eggs in preparation for it.

However removed one yesterday as I noticed it was cracked (don't know how I missed that originally) and I am now left with 12.

Tried to candle them yesterday which I think was a bit too early (only day 6) and could only see definite radial blood vessel patterns in around 3 of the eggs. Will leave it until weekend and candle again at that point, but hope I am not heading for a disastrous incubator experience like your dd's teacher.

Had an incubator dream last night - kept finding cracked eggs in the incubator and people kept fiddling with it (like my dh) despite being told not to. A good friend of mine was in the dream - she made a pot of tea, emptied the eggs out of the incubator and used it as a tray for the mugs

Good to hear your small brood of new chicks is doing well, how is your other new arrival doing?

I mis-candled at least one of my dozen at around day 10 but left the eggs I was dubious about in the incy to be on the safe side and at least one of them hatched. As long as they're not oozing they shouldn't explode! By the weekend you should be able to see a dark lump about the size of a 10p.

I also hatched one of two eggs that went in the incubator the same day they were laid to round the number up to 12 - I read somewhere after I'd done this that eggs should always 'stand' for a day before putting in an incy or they won't hatch. Well mine did!

My Silver Sussex is still sitting. She had 2 or 3 eggs under her breast last night and is hogging the space in front of a nestbox and I suspect will swipe any eggs that the others lay and put them underneath her. I will have to move her to a homemade broody box as my proper broody coop currently has 9 chicks in it!!

Archie is doing very well. Unfortunately we have a new camera and haven't figured out how to download the photo's. It's beyond me and DH is extremely busy at the moment (which is doubly unfortunate because I need help to put the cot together as I just discovered my 3yo has neither the skills, strength or concentration).

Jackson seems to be using the RCom incubator on Springwatch! Thought of all you hatchers!!!

I'll watch out for it tomorrow then!

Goodness - me too!

i also have two r-coms - word of warning - watch out you don't get ripped of if you have to return them to interhatch (the current importer) for repair out of warranty... i just did. Asked for a guide as to how much returning it for repair would cost me in the worst case scenario - Looking at about £50 including return postage, should it require a new sensor board - £68 later i was told this included a service - a service? what exactly do you do in a service i asked (thinking of my 307 on the ramp at local garage - couldn't picture the r-com up there too) - and was told that included a THOROUGH clean - ok i sent it thoroughly cleaned didn't i - apparently not. So when it came back i assumed it was clean - had duly ordered peacock eggs while waiting for incubator to arrive - got it back, put eggs to settle, then out of curiosity checked the inside of the incubator to see if they might have generously left a humidity sponge in place - clean - it's um not clean - limscale coming off at the wipe of my finger and there's a big dollop of chick poo stuck inside still! Does anyone know who i can complain to - i can't find the contact details for the manufacturer anywhere.