Incubating methods, really need feedback please!

[KyleD.]

I use to run an old LG bator and just a teen and kinda just tapped the eggs and humidity was just kinda there and i did awesome. However, that was long aho I can't remember and I am now in a different area of the US. I bought a new bator Farm Innovator with a turner and circulated air (i know, i know, bad product). I plugged it in waiting on eggs and left the plugs in and everything and now i finally have the Temp steady at 99 for almost 9 hours now. and the Humidity is 23% (i want to dry incubate). Question is...Should i remove the plugs and then re-adjust the heat to compensate or just leave it where it is and then bump the humidity after the 15th day (hatching quail). Please give me some feedback here, this forum seems not not be what it was 5 years ago. THANK YOU!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Each incubator is different and where you set it in the room can make a difference. They all need some tweaking or at least verifying that they work right. If you have not done it, I suggest you calibrate a thermometer and maybe a hygrometer so you have confidence in the readings you are getting.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

Rebel’s Hygrometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/HygrometerCalibration.html

I don’t do dry incubation so you are on your own for that. Good luck!

Early in incubation it is not important, but after a week and a half or so, you need good air circulation in the incubator. The chick has developed enough that it needs to breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, just like you do. The shell is porous and will allow air to move in and out. The purpose of those plugs is to get fresh air into the incubator. Halfway into the incubation at least one needs to be out, even with a forced air.

My Hovabator 1588 incubator, a forced air, only has one plug. I never put the plug in. Whether the plug is in or out does not affect the temperature. My thermostat takes care of that. But it does affect the humidity. Your incubator may be different but if it were mine I’d leave a plug out and see how it stabilizes. That would be my base case.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I did the dry incubation on my last hatch (and will for future hatches) and I was using a little giant with the fan installed and egg turner. I know a lot of people don't like them, but I don't have a problem with it (of course I'm home all day to monitor too, or it might be different). I left the plugs out for the whole incubation. I kept an eye on the air cells to make sure the moisture loss was adequate but not too much and at lockdown I filled my water wells and added a couple wet sponges and only wet the sponges when it needed it instead of adding to the wells. Out of 16 that went into lockdown (had one early quitter and 2 bloodrings before lockdown) 13 hatched. So I was happy.