'Airing eggs' once a day?!

[Mamapermaculture]

Hi!

After a disastrous last hatch with Ancona chicken eggs, the breeder was nice enough to replace the eggs.

I'm desperate to get it right.

I set the temp at 38°C (100.4°F) and Humidity at 58%.
Air sack was on the small side on day 16 and I let the incubator run dry before lockdown.
That worked for the hatch with Barred Rocks and all hatched, but the Anconas drowned- or that's what I think.

Should I set the Humidity at 55% all the way through to lockdown?

My brother (who is incubating on the other side of the world, haha) asked if I aired the eggs twice a day for 15 minutes, opening the incubator lid.

I never read anything about that before and wonder if anyone is practicing that?!

Cheers,
Annika

 

[FeatherTay]

My humidity is at 35% until lockdown where I up it to 55%. 55% days 1-18 is too high. You don’t have to air it out unless the humidity gets too high.
Do you have a still air or forced air incubator

 

[nuthatched]

Did you calibrate your sensors and bator to make sure it runs true,

 

[Mamapermaculture]

My humidity is at 35% until lockdown where I up it to 55%. 55% days 1-18 is too high. You don’t have to air it out unless the humidity gets too high.
Do you have a still air or forced

There is a fan like box on the bottom of the incubator in the middle. It makes a noise, so I'm guessing it is air forced. It is a cheap thing. Came with instructions, which didn't state what kind it is clearly...but not even a brand is printed on it. I had no idea when I bought it. Although it comes with a digital display and I got a hydrometer to double check if it is correct and it is. And I had two successful hatches with it.

So...35% you say? Mmmhh, I read 58% is apparently ideal. But then I read a lot of numbers. It gets confusing, because the local microclimate matters too or something like that .
But the last hatch drowned, so I was wrong.

I'm guessing the idea of airing them out is imitating a hen leaving the nest for a short time.

Replacement eggs arrived today and will let them rest for a couple of days. Turned incubator on and calibrated.

Cheers

 

[Mamapermaculture]

Did you calibrate your sensors and bator to make sure it runs true,

Yes, it calibrates when you reset it to day 0.

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

58% is more of a waterfowl number, even a little too high for them.

 

[Mamapermaculture]

58% is more of a waterfowl number, even a little too high for them.

Omg. Ok. Thank you

I'll keep you posted and might put a photo or two up to double check air sac size.

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

Omg. Ok. Thank you

I'll keep you posted and might put a photo or two up to double check air sac size.

Sound good! Good luck, happy hatching!!!

 

[Chookwagn]

I run my incubator at 40% with a 2 or 3 % either side of that fluctuation

 

[FeatherTay]

There is a fan like box on the bottom of the incubator in the middle. It makes a noise, so I'm guessing it is air forced. It is a cheap thing. Came with instructions, which didn't state what kind it is clearly...but not even a brand is printed on it. I had no idea when I bought it. Although it comes with a digital display and I got a hydrometer to double check if it is correct and it is. And I had two successful hatches with it.

So...35% you say? Mmmhh, I read 58% is apparently ideal. But then I read a lot of numbers. It gets confusing, because the local microclimate matters too or something like that .
But the last hatch drowned, so I was wrong.

I'm guessing the idea of airing them out is imitating a hen leaving the nest for a short time.

Replacement eggs arrived today and will let them rest for a couple of days. Turned incubator on and calibrated.

Cheers

The 35% is kind of a “dry” hatch and if you look it up in articles, most people say it’s the best method they have used. I do believe that it is my best method with getting 80-100% hatch rates.