I normally try and keep mine down around 60% for lock down. As the eggs hatch the humidity will spike upwards of 80% as the chicks begin to emerge and dry off.
I built one from a 36 quart cooler and followed the instructions from Rush Lane Poultry and Game birds. I have used it a half dozen times and it works really well for me as I have had two hatch's where I had 100% success. I do not have an automatic turner so I have to turn the eggs by hand but...
Get yourself a relative humidity gauge to measure humidity in the incubator. you can buy them at any hardware store or Wal Mart.
This way you will know if you have to add or remove water. To keep mine between 30-35% I just have a very small plastic cap that I need to fill twice day.
I usually...
After pipping my eggs take on average about another 12 hours or so to really start zipping. Now this is just an average i have had some come out in half that time and some twice that much.
Just be patient and let them do what they do!
Good Luck!
My homemade incubator [coolerbator] works best with an average temp setting of 100.3°F and with humidity between 30-35% for the first 18 days.
Did you add a fan to circulate the air in yours?
If so the temp should be set no lower then 99.5°F, if it is a still air incubator the temp should be...
No problem!
What ever works best for you.
You will definitly be able to see movement when the embryo gets bigger.
They swirl around in the egg quite briskly as they get bigger.
Enjoy and good luck with you hatch!
I get the same little "sac" of goo left in my shells when a chick hatch's.
I have always assumed it is waste product [excrement] from the developing chick during the 21 days.
Chicks are always strong and healthy though when I have only had this left in the shell after hatching.
I found where I live that I have the best hatch's with humidity at 30-35% for the first 18 days and then I raise it to 60% for lockdown.I don't go any higher for lock down because once the chicks begin to hatch the humidity will spike upwards as the chicks dry off.
Good luck with you hatch!
Very hard to tell by looking at your pictures - very dark.
This is what one of my eggs looked like on day 7.
You can clearly see the veining and the dark eye spot.
With your eggs being a medium brown colour if you get a strong flashlight and place the egg carefully on it and wrap with your...
I started out with a number of different thermometers and humidity gauges.
I have now settled on 4 of them.
I use a La Crosse Technlogy wireless thermometer as my main one [the one that all other thermometers are based from]. I know that when it is reading 100.5°F then my incubator is set right...
A lot depends on where you are in the world.
Where I live in Ontario Canada and what works for me is a 32% average for the first 18 days and then I set for 60% until hatch day.
Once the chicks begin to hatch you cannot control the humidity anymore as the moisture from the chicks increases it...
If you are going to use a water heater thermostat [WHT] then yes that is the right one.
I use a WHT in my coolerbator I built and it works very well and I only have a +/- 1/2° variance. The main thing with WHT's is the set up of them is critical for them to work properly as they work off of...
I also use a sponge as this gives you good surface area.
Also one trick I do is to add hot water to the water trays or sponge when I need to add water.
Friday the 17th would be day 18 [lockdown].
For humidity during lockdown I set mine for about 60%.
It will increase as the chicks hatch and add moisture to the incubator from drying out.
Usually i will get a few pips the evening before [the 19th for you] and chirping from the eggs.
Good luck...
You will not hear anything until they have internally pipped.
Which means they have torn through the membrane into the internal air sac.
Once they start breathing air they can then chirp.
FINAL TALLY!
Well I went 10 for 11 eggs.
All beautiful chicks!
First one hatched at 5:50am and the last one at 7:00pm.
It was an exciting day.
They had a half hour or so after hatch in the incubator to dry out a bit and then into the brooder tank.
They had a great day on Sunday afternoon...
Well today is day 21 and my eggs started pipping last night at 7pm.
Had 3 pipped before I went to bed - up at various hours during the night to check on them and a few more were pipped.
Up at 4am and down to the incubator.
First one hatched at 5:50 and the second at 6:26.
Out of the 14 eggs i...