Help with getting the hatch right

[katie246]

Hi I am on my second hatch and need a bit of advice as my first hatch didn't go very well I had 8 eggs make it to lock down but don't think I got it right as only 2 hatched and one was a lot smaller than the other and sadly died yesterday at 16 days old so I'm left with just one little miracle and I have put more eggs in my incubator at different times I also read it was better to have a second incubator for just hatching in so I have set up this ready as my first 6 eggs are on day 15 and I have 2 eggs on day 10 4 eggs on day 8 and just put another 11 eggs in today as I'm determined my little miracle will have lots of friends I'm just not sure when is best to move the eggs into hatching incubator and what temp and humidity do I need please.

 

[chickens really]

@WVduckchick

 

[chickens really]

I just sent a message for WVduckchick for you......She is fantastic......She helped me hatch all my Duckings and is so nice .......Wait, she will reply....


Cheers!......

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi Katie! Glad you joined us. Sorry you lost some and are left with a loner, but I can see you are determined to get more! So you will find plenty of help here. Yeah!

First tell me about your current incubator. What did you run your temp and humidity the first attempt?

 

[katie246]

Humidity was 40-50 and temp was 37.6 and it is one with a fan in to move the air around I also turned all the eggs by hand 5 times a day at 2:48am 7:36am 12:25pm 5:12pm and 10 pm I worked out these times so the time spent on each side was equal. because I didn't like the idea of the eggs staying on one side for too long.

 

[WVduckchick]

Humidity was 40-50 and temp was 37.6 and it is one with a fan in to move the air around I also turned all the eggs by hand 5 times a day at 2:48am 7:36am 12:25pm 5:12pm and 10 pm I worked out these times so the time spent on each side was equal. because I didn't like the idea of the eggs staying on one side for too long.

Sounds like you were very diligent! Did you ever candle the eggs? My guess would be that your humidity was too high. I know all the incubator instructions and stuff says 40-50%, but most of us find that 30-40% works better. Local conditions make a difference also, like if you live in a more humid or dry area, all has an effect. But starting out with lower humidity, and checking air cells along the way usually works better to figure out what's happening.

 

[katie246]

I candled them every 5 days just to check they were all still alive and air sacks were growing. I also read somewhere after I had already set them that you can weigh the eggs and they should loose 13-15 percent weight by day 25 which I have done on this new batch just in case it is better to do so. is it OK if I reduce the humidity now on the eggs I have in or will it harm them.

 

[WVduckchick]

Using the weight loss method is not a bad idea when getting started. They will lose a little more near the end than they do in the beginning, but if you have weighed them since you set them, how is it going? If the weight loss has been low, it is safe to decrease the humidity, but I would do it gradually. Like a few % each day.

I did the weighing thing my first few hatches, and I still weigh my Serama chick eggs. It does work out, but my problem with it was some would be high and some would be low, and I'd fret too much about it. So now I just observe my air cells and go with the majority. If they look like they are growing too fast, I'll add a little water. But for me, I usually incubate with no water at all, and hold near 30%.

But it is easier to start low humidity and increase later, than to start high and reverse it.

You are doing fine! We will get you some ducklings this time!

 

[katie246]

Thank you so much for helping me some have lost just under half way they need to and some have lost just over half what they need to in the ones due to start hatching first I hadn't weighed the others yet because they are a few days behind them. if that makes any sense. air sacks are looking about what they say they should be on the diagrams I have seen.

 

[WVduckchick]

Sounds like they are doing fine this time.

I get a gut feeling that I would let the humidity run on the low side of what you are doing, but sounds like no major adjustments are necessary right now.