A Guide to Humidity, Weighing and Lockdown.

[Tripp16]

Hi Im wondering something. Your thread was VERY helpful I am first timer hatching my own chicks.

My question is how do I know what the humidity is?? Is there a certain thermometer??

Thanks!!

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
get yourself a digital thermometer/hygrometer (temperature/humidity). got mine off ebay for $7.25 each shipped. (ordered 4) you can get cheaper if you are willing to ship from china, i wasn't (shipped from NY).

 

[pete55]

Hi

Just to catch up on a few questions that have been asked;

Yes I would advise weighing all eggs until more experience is gained. For example; our Dewlap Toulouse have a reputation for being difficult to hatch and we still weigh and mark every egg.

If you buy infertile supermarket eggs then these are fine to test with and stabilise temperatures. Weight loss cannot be compared as the growing embryo changes the metabolism in the egg and use of water content. In the first week these changes are small but they do differ.

Pete

 

[h4ppy-chris]

Quote:
thanks Pete

 

[pete55]

You're very welcome

 

[Harpo]

Hello from "DOWN UNDER",

my question is:

if I've stuffed my humidity and haven't had sufficient moisture loss by day 19 and have a small air cell, is it possible to do the external pipping from my side and create a breather hole which may offer more hope ? and when would you suggest I do it - just after they break the membrane if I can see their beak near the shell ( have had a hard time making out anything to be honest ) The blunt end is very dense and I appear to have an air cell at the pointy end - one person said that that is because the chick has turned towards the air cell??

Have you heard of this being done and if so was it successful?

This is my first time using an incubator and it's been a steep learning curve.....

Your guideline has become my new bible

 

[pete55]

Hi there and welcome from 'Down Under'. Where are you from?

I would advise keeping your incubator dry so you achieve lowest humidity and raise the humidity levels just before the chicks externally pip.

You can take them out of the incubator or take off the lid for 20 minutes twice daily which also helps to accelerate moisture loss. However I wouldnt advise making any kind of hole in the egg at this stage as it will cause drying of the membranes and blood vessels before the chick is ready to pip.

The air cell at the bottom of the egg is just the way the egg was formed in the hen's oviduct and has nothing to do with the chick positioning itself for hatching. If you'd been in an earlier stage of incubation I would have advised raising that end of the egg but I suspect the chick's already adopted its hatching position at this late stage.

Hope that helps you

Pete

 

[Harpo]

Hi Pete,

from Sydney, Australia - the place with really cold beer and great cricketers

Thanks for that - as the turner tray is out now I can easily get some absorbant paper in the channels and dry them out - how low should i go? 30%?

Then what should I bump it back to if/when I see a pip?

 

[pete55]

Cold beer and cricketers

Nice place though Sydney and when we were there we loved the zoo and harbour sights

Yes 30% is fine but you need to go back up to 70% just before the eggs externally pip

Pete

 

[h4ppy-chris]

Pete
how long can you take to weigh and candel chicken eggs before you do them harm?