Confused of Chickenland

[Purplepansie]

Hi, I'm new to all this, never kept chickens before. I have acquired an Octagon 20 incubator (automatic rotation), a brooder lamp for when they hatch out, the eggs obviously and a thermometer/hygrometer which reads 41 degrees for 22% for humidity. The Octagon has two channels for water which are both kept half full, the whole thing seems to work just fine but I'm worried the humidity may not be enough as I'm reading that it should be 50%ish. What is correct? I'm trying to hatch Aracauna /Ameracauna eggs, have had them in there since March March 21st 2013, and am not counting the first day as day 1 but 22nd as day 1, so they should be ready about April 13th give or take...and I'll stop the rotating around April 11th or so. Also as its rotating, do I have to do anything at all with these eggs. God....hens don't have all this trouble do they? They just lay 'em, sit on 'em and hatch 'em!!! Its very exciting though! Hellllp!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I hope your thermometer is off. 41 C degrees is far too high. You want to incubate at 37.5C or 99.5F. You set on a Thursday so 3 weeks (21 days) is Thurs the 11th. Three days before that you raise humidity and stop turning, Monday the 8th.

You can calibrate your hygrometer to ensure it's reading humidity correctly. Put salt in a bottle cap, add drops of water until it's a paste not a slurry. Put cap and hygrometer in ziplock bag for four hours. However far off from 75% is the calibration needed for your hygrometer. i.e. if reading 70% then always at 5% to your readings. Or your unit may have an adjustment to correct reading.

Starting out dry humidity is fine. You monitor how much humidity your incubating at by candling and watching the growth of air cell. If your weight loss/ air cell is too much then raise the humidity, or if too little lower it or take water out completely for few days. I run about 35% humidity first 18 days then 60%.

You should candle your eggs tonight to see if there is any veining. I believe your high temp (if thermometer is accurate) has likely killed the embryos. 41C is 105F and mortality occurs if prolonged at 104F I'm sorry to say.

 

[Purplepansie]

Hi, thanks very much for all the info, I will do as you say. I have only just received the thermometer/hygrometer in the post so maybe...just maybe it isn't reading correctly. Apparently the incubator was used very successfully until fairly recently with great success but I'm going to check the temp using your method. I'll do the candling tonight.

 

[Purplepansie]

Hi, Egghead_JR, took your advice and candled the eggs last night although maybe a little too early to tell too much. I think I'm in luck because having found a more reliable thermometer it is reading 37.5 so all is well. The humity is the same but I'm not bothered about that at the moment. I did the hygrometer test as well yesterday exactly as you said and the reading was 57%, nowhere near 75% so I'm thinking the entire device is not reliable so I won't be using it for critical stuff. It is however reading correctly for a normal room temperature as I have another thermometer which I have tried it against. I will probably candle again tomorrow evening to make sure I haven't got any bad ones in there...don't want them exploding everywhere but so far so good, keeping fingers crossed.