- Oct 21, 2009
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Hello!!
I own a small flock -1 hen, 1 rooster - and I want to hatch an egg from them. So, I am borrowing a still-air incubator, and plan to set the next 1-3 eggs my hen lays. (Up to 3 because I know that fertility, incubating, and hatching are all very chancy).
I read about still air incubation and that sounds GREAT! I didn't, to be honest, understand entirely what I need to do, though. So I wanted to clarify it with the panel of experts!
1. Don't put any water in the incubator, right?
2. Have a draft and stable-temp place for the incubator and make the humidity _____ %. How humid? It is currently 39% humidity in my house, in TX, with the heat running often. Does the desired humidity change depending on what stage of incubating it's in?
3. "Candling the eggs - be very gentle." Using an automatic egg turner, do I need to make sure I rotate the egg back to the way it was when I took it from the incubator before candling? Is it okay to rotate the egg to candle it?
Is there really NO hope if there is no sign of embryo-age?
4. What is the desired humidity INSIDE the incubator to be for dry incubating?
Thanks for your help!
P.S. I read at my local feed store that December 11th is the day to set eggs -- why that day?
I own a small flock -1 hen, 1 rooster - and I want to hatch an egg from them. So, I am borrowing a still-air incubator, and plan to set the next 1-3 eggs my hen lays. (Up to 3 because I know that fertility, incubating, and hatching are all very chancy).
I read about still air incubation and that sounds GREAT! I didn't, to be honest, understand entirely what I need to do, though. So I wanted to clarify it with the panel of experts!
1. Don't put any water in the incubator, right?
2. Have a draft and stable-temp place for the incubator and make the humidity _____ %. How humid? It is currently 39% humidity in my house, in TX, with the heat running often. Does the desired humidity change depending on what stage of incubating it's in?
3. "Candling the eggs - be very gentle." Using an automatic egg turner, do I need to make sure I rotate the egg back to the way it was when I took it from the incubator before candling? Is it okay to rotate the egg to candle it?
Is there really NO hope if there is no sign of embryo-age?
4. What is the desired humidity INSIDE the incubator to be for dry incubating?
Thanks for your help!
P.S. I read at my local feed store that December 11th is the day to set eggs -- why that day?
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