Does this information sound right for hatching chicks?

[Felicia]

Does this sound right for hatching chickens?
*I have a Little Giant Still Air* (thanks Wynette)

Temp: 100

Humidity: 85-87

Do not turn after: 18th day

Humidity Last 3 days: 90

Open vent more: 18th day


I am getting some silkie and showgirl eggs (

) shipped to me in the next day or two, and want to make sure I got all this information right.


And also I am going to be getting a water wiggler today. And also a thermometer with a probe. What is the best (and still inexpensive) brand of thermometer?

Thanks!

 

[Wynette]

First of all, what a GORGEOUS Bouvier des Flanders!

What kind of bator do you have? Temps depend on if you have a still air or circulated air type.

 

[Felicia]

Thanks

He is my baby boy.

I have a Little Giant Still Air...I will add that to the first post also...

 

[Guitartists]

It's right except the humidity part.... It shouldn't vary from a forced air bator.... 40% until day 18 then bump up to 65-70%.... though, you will hear different formulas. I like to keep mine around 30% until day 18. If your humidity is too high... the air cell cannot grow enough and the chicks could drown when hatching.

Congrats on you new bator and future chicks!

Also... I ended up buying my thermometer/hydrometer at Home Depot... but Walmart has some pretty nice inexpensive models.

 

[lilbreeches]

that humidity is WAY to high!!!!

you will get several opinions on humdity but i think almost all will say that is much much too high. i incubate day 1 - 18 around 45%-50%, some go even less, then day 18 to hatch around 70%-75%. if you run humidity 85% the first 18 days then 90% the last few, you will drown your chicks. as far as temp, i believe you should run around 102 for a still air, but I am not certain with a little giant, never had one. and it is correct about do not turn after day 18 but also let me add DO NOT OPEN YOUR BATOR AFTER DAY 18 UNTIL HATCH IS COMPLETE !!!! on vents, i leave mine open all the time, so, again, that is just my opinion, others do it different.

Good luck on hatching! And. . . . . . Welcome to the Addiction!

 

[Felicia]

Quote:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will make sure I don't let the humidity get to high (or to low). That definitely would not be good to drown the poor things.

 

[Guitartists]

As to the still air part... I believe it's 100-101??? I'll have to look into that. I know it's not much hotter than a forced air.

I'm pretty sure that's about right... however... 102 also came up in my search... and a little warm never hurt. My last hatches in my bator ran a degree or two hotter than it was sposed to before the heat would kick off... and I've gotten pretty good hatches so far. If you run it a little low, they will most likely still be fine, but just a couple days slower to hatch.

But, I do hope someone with experience with this particular model will come along with the RIGHT answer

 

[gabrielle1976]

Good luck with youre eggs , I want some silkie eggs my self soon . I am keeping my humidity around 40-45% for the first 18 days and my temp is about 100.0 -100.9 and I think thats pretty good but I am new.

 

[Fudgie]

I keep my temp at 101.3 for the still air incubators. Humidity day 1-18 is around 40% plus or minus. Not below 35 though. Increase to 60-70 last 3 days. Don't forget keep the plugs in until ONE hatches, when it hatches open one vent and when you have a few in the bator open the other vent.

One trick to the trade I have figured out is this.... DON't Open the bator when chicks hatch.

I do however, remove the egg shells after a few have hatched, I do this by pulling one of the plastic windows off the top of the bator(only one at a time) and reach in and grab the egg shells. This way you don't loose the temp or humidity like opening it completely up. It is amazing that the temp stays stable and so does the humidity. You also don't have stray chicks jumping ship when the bator is opened.

Edited to add the warning, watch your arm on the heating element, it hurts! Trust me IT HURTS!!

 

[l'uccello]

I'm sure the humidity numbers of 85-87 are for a wet bulb reading. At 100-101 degrees, the conversion works out about right.