Incubator/hatching related questions

[dimi]

Hi, all

#1: Why do you put a sponge in the container with water? I understand the water is for humidity - what does the sponge do?
#2: How do you start counting days. For example, I started incubation on Tuesday 9am, is the day 1 Wednesday 9am? or do you count Tuesday as day 1?

Thank you,
Dimi

 

[farmerJonBrown]

From my experience the sponge creates more surface area causing the humidity to stay higher.

 

[Fat Daddy]

From my experience the sponge creates more surface area causing the humidity to stay higher.

Jon Is right. The sponge will bring the humidity up quite a bit. The bigger the sponge the higher the humidity goes. If you set your eggs on Tues at 9, Wednesday at 9 would be 24 hrs and 1 day.... good luck

 

[dimi]

Thanks, guys. I took the eggs out of turner and fully uncovered the water bowl this morning starting the lockdown. I floated a couple of eggs and they floated, which is hopeful.

Eggs still should be pointy end down at the lockdown, correct?

Thanks,
Dimi

 

[poultry102]

Actually, I think you place the eggs in their natural unsupported position.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Thanks, guys. I took the eggs out of turner and fully uncovered the water bowl this morning starting the lockdown. I floated a couple of eggs and they floated, which is hopeful.

Eggs still should be pointy end down at the lockdown, correct?

Thanks,
Dimi

Good Morning Dimi, Floating your eggs really only told you that there is a air cell in the egg. If you take a store bought chicken egg out of your frig, put it in a bowl of water, I'll bet you a soda it will float. (If it doesn't, it is a very fresh egg.) It floats because there is a air cell in it, not because there is a chick inside. There is a lot of misunderstanding about the float test.
If you are hatching with the eggs in a carton or upright position, yes, they need to be pointy end down.... I hatch all my eggs in cartons of some form with eggs in a up right position. If you are laying them on the floor of the bator they will rest naturally as they should be. The most important factor is to be left still. The lock down period is basically to give the chick the chance to properly orient its self to pip into the part of the air cell that is up. If the egg is rolled just before it pips into what he thinks is the top of the air cell, it could pip into the bottom of the air cell. When this happens, the chick only has a small amount of time to beat a hole in the outer shell. If it cant get a hole thru the shell fast enough. The remaining fluid surrounding the chick can drain into the air cell, displacing the air with water, thus drowning it. A lot of the chicks that are lost right as they should hatch are really just drown in the shell. Hatching in a upright position almost completely eliminates this.... . Hope you have a great hatch, Bill

 

[dimi]

Thanks, Bill. Very informative. This is my first hatch, so, very curious and determined to have at least some hatchrate.

Out of curiosity what humidity do you keep it at lockdown?

 

[poultry102]

You will want to keep it at steady 60 - 65% RH Relative Humidity

- Hope this helps!!!

 

[TwoCrows]

I like to get the humidity up somewhere between 65% and 70% at lock down. If the window is foggy, then I know the humidity is where I want it!

 

[Fat Daddy]

I like to get the humidity up somewhere between 65% and 70% at lock down. If the window is foggy, then I know the humidity is where I want it!

X2 I have not used a hydrometer for years. I look for the fog on my glass. When it gets foggy you're just right at 65-70% This works great till a big curious rottweiler sneaks a real close peek at the bator and fogs it up from the outside! She is just sure she can tend them better than I can ......