California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

Need some hatching advise. I have the Brinsea Octagon 20 ECO (no pump) and I can't seem to get the humidity over 60% (it's steady). I have both water basins filled and a sheet of flannel wicking out of one. I'm right at the beginning of day 19. Should I open it up and put flannel (or something else) to wick from the other basin also? Or just leave it alone and hope? I only have 2 eggs going so I'm guessing the humidity won't go up much when hatching starts. Is that correct?

have you tried a saturated sanitary napkin? It worked great for me. Of course my hatch was wretched but that was not because I couldn't get the humidity up. you can put one or two in the basin and fill it they absorb a ton so should bring it up to where you want it pretty quickly.

 

[ronott1]

Need some hatching advise. I have the Brinsea Octagon 20 ECO (no pump) and I can't seem to get the humidity over 60% (it's steady). I have both water basins filled and a sheet of flannel wicking out of one. I'm right at the beginning of day 19. Should I open it up and put flannel (or something else) to wick from the other basin also? Or just leave it alone and hope? I only have 2 eggs going so I'm guessing the humidity won't go up much when hatching starts. Is that correct?

ETA: I have the vent 1/2 closed; don't want to close it any more.

Open the vent all the way--Ventilation is very important.

60% works for hatching. Humidity will go up as they hatch.

If you have enough room, a kitchen sponge(Wet the sponge and pop it into the microwave for a minute and 30 seconds) set in a storage dish will raise humidity. The water channels can also be stuffed with paper towels as an alternative to the sanitary pad idea.

 

[QueenBubbles]

Lol

7 eggs total?  I feel like a 1950s father pacing the waiting room waiting for his baby to be born.  Godiva is ready she is so HUGE and Fluffy I bet she could manage 18 but 7 or so  will be a good first go for her. When she is puffed up and doing her broody rampage around the yard she looks as big as my NH rooster.

The heat was rough on her yesterday but I opened up all the coop door so she gets air circulating. She hovered over her golf balls rather than sitting on them yesterday.  I am sure she will be happy when she gets these babies.

Thank you again Ron!


@chiqita
I have both silkie broodies sharing the same space.  I was nervous about it because the one was belligerent with my Australorp broody when they shared a space...for about 3 minutes...but these two are besties and my sizzle seems to know her place and the two get along quite well.   One of the Marans chicks  (Blue Wheaten??) who is under the sizzle is a nest hopper and likes to see what the other kids are up to.  Gracie Belle tolerates it.   I am smitten with that little one therefore you know it must be a cockerel.

Another of Laura's chicks is enormously gorgeous....Blue Isbar/Black Marans...I am equally enamored of it so it will also be a cockerel.   I don't know why people bother sending pictures and guessing sex on chickens...they should just hire me and which ever I find the most beautiful or to have the best chickenality...those will be their boys.

Lol! I am quite suspicious of my own taste, too. Alert, makes eye contact and pretty!

 

[debs_flock]

Need some hatching advise. I have the Brinsea Octagon 20 ECO (no pump) and I can't seem to get the humidity over 60% (it's steady). I have both water basins filled and a sheet of flannel wicking out of one. I'm right at the beginning of day 19. Should I open it up and put flannel (or something else) to wick from the other basin also? Or just leave it alone and hope? I only have 2 eggs going so I'm guessing the humidity won't go up much when hatching starts. Is that correct?

ETA: I have the vent 1/2 closed; don't want to close it any more.

I run my hatchers at 50%. Once the eggs start to open up, the humidity will naturally rise to 60-70%. Those are the levels that have worked for me.

Never close the vents. The hatching chicks need the air, particularly with the higher humidity.

 

[Kaylish]

have you tried a saturated sanitary napkin? It worked great for me. Of course my hatch was wretched but that was not because I couldn't get the humidity up. you can put one or two in the basin and fill it they absorb a ton so should bring it up to where you want it pretty quickly.

Open the vent all the way--Ventilation is very important.

60% works for hatching. Humidity will go up as they hatch.

If you have enough room, a kitchen sponge(Wet the sponge and pop it into the microwave for a minute and 30 seconds) set in a storage dish will raise humidity. The water channels can also be stuffed with paper towels as an alternative to the sanitary pad idea.

I run my hatchers at 50%. Once the eggs start to open up, the humidity will naturally rise to 60-70%. Those are the levels that have worked for me.

Never close the vents. The hatching chicks need the air, particularly with the higher humidity.

Thank you everyone! Opened the vent all the way up and added 1/2 a sponge. Humidity jumped to 80% right away. I'm going to give it a half hour or so to settle; if it stays there I'll cut back to 1/4 sponge...just don't want to be messing with it too much. At least the temp goes back up within a couple of minutes. I hope I don't screw this up now...I know, practice makes perfect

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Well...that explains it! They are not known for being very fuel-efficient.

Quote:
112 ?? Where do you live? Sounds like up near Redding. You poor thing! I smell like wet fo a lot this time of year. Riley likes ot run thru the sprinklers....put hald her body in the pond to get a better drink of water...stick half her muzzle in the water dish and they let the water dribble all over the floor in the house....but what can I do......she is a retriever and they live for water

Quote: Aww....so sorry. I'm glad it will be cooler too... I hate summer....I hate summer....I hate summer.....

you people suck

all the hatching going on and i cant even hatch one egg and none of my hens will brood.
any idea why my hens arent laying?

Are they molting?

Oh, today was another good day- my parents made it back to California. That is one less trip and dozens less chickens to care for. Woo hoo!

After my first hatch, I am also already lending out my incubator already. I'm nervous about getting it back in a timely manner and in the same condition, but she played dirty and sent her nine year old to ask me.

Well that's pretty sneaky! LOL!!!!

Quote:
A couple of degrees cooler here today....but not enough to notice.

 

[msw1208]

Well...that explains it!  They are not known for being very fuel-efficient.


112 ??    Where do you live?  Sounds like up near Redding.  You poor thing!   I smell like wet fo a lot this time of year.  Riley likes ot run thru the sprinklers....put hald her body in the pond to get a better drink of water...stick half her muzzle in the water dish and they let the water dribble all over the floor in the house....but what can I do......she is a retriever and they live for water   
Aww....so sorry.  I'm glad it will be cooler too...  I hate summer....I hate summer....I hate summer.....

Are they molting?


Well that's pretty sneaky!   LOL!!!!

A couple of degrees cooler here today....but not enough to notice.

Hope everyone keeps cool this week!


Anyways, I have been doing a little bit of research about hatching eggs in a incubator and I was wondering since my place has zero heating and cooling, could I put a small incubator in a cupboard in the bathroom? Would it be enough air circulation? It's the ONLY room in my place that doesn't fluctuate temperature throughout the day... Or should a just wait until I get a broody?

 

[Kaylish]

Humidity stablilized at 67% before I left for work so it'll be hands off from here on out...

OhpleaseOhpleaseOhplease!

 

[ronott1]

Hope everyone keeps cool this week!


Anyways, I have been doing a little bit of research about hatching eggs in a incubator and I was wondering since my place has zero heating and cooling, could I put a small incubator in a cupboard in the bathroom? Would it be enough air circulation? It's the ONLY room in my place that doesn't fluctuate temperature throughout the day... Or should a just wait until I get a broody?

Vallejo should be fairly temperate. I is best if the room stayed at a steady temperature but a lot of incubators can adjust to temperature changes. Brinsea and rcom make table top incubators that can adjust well.

Ventilation is very important so a cupboard would not work well.

 

[msw1208]

Humidity stablilized at 67% before I left for work so it'll be hands off from here on out...  OhpleaseOhpleaseOhplease!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! You all seem to have so much fun hatching!

Vallejo should be fairly temperate. I is best if the room stayed at a steady temperature but a lot of incubators can adjust to temperature changes. Brinsea and rcom make table top incubators that can adjust well.

Ventilation is very important so a cupboard would not work well.

Thank you for the suggestions and advice! I will look into those two makers.