on my second try, we achieved a 93% hatch with a foam incubator. (that was out of the fertile eggs-if you count the infertile eggs then our hatch was only 75%. Being brandnew at this game, we are learning to develop an eye for candling. so in the meantime, I also use a digital kitchen scale and a math formula to figure out the weight loss. I also used the dry theory with some changes. We were in February in Alberta, which is a very dry province. When my room humidity dropped to below 40%, I added 2 Tablespoons of water to the smallest channel. I actually took some 1/4" tubing and put it through the wall of the incubator so that I would not have to open it to add water. I put a syringe on the end and was very strict with keeping track of water added. Some days I would have to add water 3 times a day. I had a wet bulb in the incubator (and a thermometer ). I adjusted the chart results to account for our elevation to get the relative humidity. I tried to keep it at 40%. When my average wt. loss was a little high at day 14, I then increased to 50% .
I also had to play with the vents to gain the right humidity. I think the bottom line is to keep your humidity low. Over the course of the hatch, my average wt. loss was in range. When looking at each specific egg for loss, 60% were in the range. The other 40% were a little higher and lower. In the end, though, 31/33 hatched and lived. I had to assist two that had lower wt. loss. One died and he was one that I should have assisted on day 22 instead of day23. His wt. loss was higher and he was stuck to the membrane. He died. One other had a malformation where the umbilical cord inserted and I assisted him and he died the next day.
Wendy
I also had to play with the vents to gain the right humidity. I think the bottom line is to keep your humidity low. Over the course of the hatch, my average wt. loss was in range. When looking at each specific egg for loss, 60% were in the range. The other 40% were a little higher and lower. In the end, though, 31/33 hatched and lived. I had to assist two that had lower wt. loss. One died and he was one that I should have assisted on day 22 instead of day23. His wt. loss was higher and he was stuck to the membrane. He died. One other had a malformation where the umbilical cord inserted and I assisted him and he died the next day.
Wendy
