EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[BantyChooks]

HA!! what if I dont have chickens by then!!  he he he

you? Stop hatching?? Nevah!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

TEMPERATURE​

Never trust the thermometer that comes with the incubator, always check it.​

The thermometer that came with my incubator was off by 5 degrees.​

That could mean life or death for your babies.​

ALWAYS run your bator a few days first for temp swings​

Uneven temps in bators rotate eggs at candles post #50418

Did you know "The yolk is orange and on its surface is a visible germinal disc; radiating from this area is the more watery white
yolk, which is less dense. During turning, the yolk’s structure makes the part containing the germinal disc stay most dorsal (closest to the incubating bird) for heating"

With a Forced Air Incubator (fan model) you can get the best hatch rate by keeping the temperature at 99.5º F. throughout the entire incubation period NEVER LET IT GO BELOW 99.5!!! Watch for evening temp flux!

HOWEVER, when using a Still Air incubator (no fan) at 102º F. The reason for different temperatures is that with a fan model the circulating air warms all around the egg while still air temperatures are warmer at the top of the egg than at the bottom.

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WHERE TO SET YOUR THERMOMETER​

The temperature is measured at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the HORIZONTAL egg).
NOTE:If the eggs are in vertical position, elevate the thermometer just below the top of the egg. The temperature is measured at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the egg). Never allow the thermometer to touch the eggs or incubator because incorrect readings can result.

A high temperature tends to produce early hatches. A consistently cooler temperature tends to increase incubation times and produce weakened chicks. In both cases the total chicks hatched will be reduced. Prepare your incubator and run it for several days before adding eggs, to be positive you are maintaining correct incubation temperature.

NOTE: It is common that when adding eggs the temperature will drop but should come back up to correct temperature within an hour or two. Don’t rest the thermometer's bulb touching the eggs or the incubator. Incorrect readings will result.

NOTE: Did you know that 10/13 day old embryos begin to produce excess heat in the incubator? Most large commercial incubators will spend more time cooling than heating!
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Probe thermometer & water weasel (Water Wiggler, Water Snake) found on Amazon or Ebay make for EXCELLENT internal temp guides! The perfect internal temperature of an embryo is 99.5 degrees. If you can't find a water wiggler you can make your own with ziplock filled with water folded in half and insert the probe in the center middle.

Examples of thermometers and hygrometers
I personally like to keep a digital one that also keeps track of “highs and lows” along with 2 incubator thermometers AND a PROBE! It depends on how scientific you plan your hatch!​

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More Important than make/model is CALIBRATION.​

It NEEDS TO BE SPOT ON!​

SEE BELOW FOR CALIBRATION​

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Researchers have found that lowering temperatures will prolong incubation, HOWEVER it is favorable to do so at the end of incubation. ​

Day 19 & 20 Temp Min 98.0 Max 98.5​

Day 21 Temp Min 97 Max 98.0​

for more information please refer here:
PAGE 42
http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guide_english__030374800_0945_07012015.pdf​

CLICK TO OPEN Medical HUMAN infrared thermometer (Click to show)

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/downloads/download/174/

http://www.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_...ow_Tos/06HowTo6MonitorSetterTempVariation.pdf

For those that can't open pdf's I made pictures of this one that Sally posted a few days ago:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/downloads/download/174/











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CALIBRATION!​

YES! It’s IMPORTANT!​

Calibrate the thermometer/s you are using for your Incubator. I use 3 thermometers! You need to make sure your thermometer is reading correctly, Even one degree may cause serious problems with your hatch! A simple method without specialized instruments and knowledge is to compare your thermometer/hygrometer with other devices.
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HOW TO CALIBRATION of thermometers:​

Originally Posted by ChickenCanoe

I just posted this elsewhere today and it may help you.

"Here's what you are dealing with.
Not all thermometers read at the same timing. Also not all thermometers are accurate.
Understand that almost all incubators thermostats are in an on or off state.
What you are trying to achieve is a constant and appropriate internal egg temperature.
If a thermometer samples when the heat element is energized, it will read in the 100s.
When the temperature drops below set point, heat will turn on till the thermostat kicks off. Temperature will continue to rise for a few seconds to minutes while the heat element cools.
The readings on a good instant read thermometer will swing wildly and constantly.

Get 2 guaranteed accurate thermometers and throw the rest out. There will still be swings in readings unless your thermostat energizes in a graduated scale but you'll know what is up."

A neat little trick to verify your hygrometer is to place it outside in the shade. Then check your zip code on Accuweather for the relative humidity. After 20 minutes or so, check your hygrometer to see how close it is.

Freezing point method.​

Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add a LITTLE clean water until the glass is full and stir. Wait 3 minutes then insert the thermometer tip into the ice-filled glass so it’s in the water ice mixture. Wait a minute and if the thermometer reads 32 F then it’s accurate, and if it does not, it requires calibration.
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Boiling point method.​

Boil water in a pot, about 6” deep. When the water is at boiling point, place the thermometer into the water and make sure that the tip stays in the middle of the boiling pot, away from bottom and sides. Wait 30 seconds and check if the thermometer reads correctly at 212 degrees if you are at sea level or below 1,000 feet elevation. The boiling point of water varies for different elevations: sea level at 212 F, 1000 feet at 210 F, 2000 feet at 208 F, 3000 feet at 206.4 F, 5000 feet at 202.75 F, and 8,000 feet at 197.5 F. The thermometer needs calibration if the reading is incorrect. Boiling Point Calculator CLICK HERE
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Calibrate the Digital Thermometer​

Adjust the nut of the digital thermometer in order to correct the temperature. This is done by simply turning the adjuster until the correct reading is reached. Digital thermometers do not require any adjustment of a screw or nut. You simply need to locate the reset button. When the freezing point or boiling point of water is achieved, simply push the button and that’s it. Some digital thermometers may require you to push hold the reset button.
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CALIBRATION EASY WAY​

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What To Do If Your Thermometer Is Inaccurate​

When testing a thermometer for accuracy, all you're trying to do is make sure that your unit is not grossly out of whack. You should be worried about being off by +/-20°F, not +/-2°F. If your testing shows that your thermometer is off by only a few degrees, don't do anything—just take those few degrees into account when reading your thermometer. It should be noted that even high-quality, industrial-grade thermometers are only accurate to +/-1% of their scale. This means that at a standard 212°F boiling point, these thermometers may read as much as 2°F above or below the actual temperature and still be within manufacturing specifications. Bottom line: Don't sweat your thermometer being off by a few degrees!
If your thermometer is off by +/-5°F or more, you may want to consider replacing it with a higher quality model. S
Inexpensive thermometers typically cannot be recalibrated if found to be inaccurate, but more expensive units may be recalibrated by the manufacturer and in some cases by the user. Consult the instructions that came with your thermometer for details.​

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More information on Calibrating your thermometer/hygrometer:​

http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html
http://www.canadacutlery.com/download/calibrate-a-thermometer.pdf​

Analog hygrometer Calibration http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/pages/calibrate.html

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hygrometer calibration Benny's method
1. You calibrate 2 simple alcohol thermometers see pic.


2 you should build an home made hygrometer see pic! It is very easy!


3. You should have the digital hygrometer that you want to calibrate.
M.O
A.Set you incubator to 30C with a measuring cup with a known volume of distilled water put inside the home made hygrometer and the digital hygrometer and measure the humidity in boat devices( how to measure in the home made hygrometer, see the attache in the end!) write the reeding of the humidity level
In boat devices.
Do the same another 3 times but change the temp in the bator to: 35C,40C and 45C. So after you do that you will have 4 humidity level measured by the home made hygrometer and 4 humidity level measured by the digital hygrometer.
B. After you have all the readings you should calculate the delta( difference) between the 2 reedings
For example :
If in 30C the home made hygrometer showed 53% and the digital showed 51%
The difference is
53%-51%=(+)2%
You should do this with all the different temp. That you measured.
C.you should sum all the differences that you calculated
For example:
If the deltas were: 2%,3.4%(-2%),3%
The sum will be: 2+3.4-2+3=6.4
D,you should calculate the average difference:
(6.4)%:4= (+)1.6%
That Menes that you should add to your digital readings 1.6% humidity.
If the calculated average is negative ( has a minus in front of it) you should reduce
The number from your digital hygrometer readings!
How to measure with home made hygrometer:
You should reed the temp of the dry thermometer, and the one of the wet thermometer, calculate the difference( dry-wet) and use the table in the link!
http://www.agrolan.co.il/uploadfiles/rh.htm
Some examp. From the link

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picture to illustrate why we calibrate.​

All the same brand. All read the same a month ago. All in the same conditions for the past week. All read different.
I also will be investing in a thermometer with tenths digits to compare to my thermostat.​

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Mix 1/2 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of water to make a thick slurry. Put your thermometer/hygrometer into a large zip-close plastic bag with this cup of salt slurry, close completely, and leave at room temperature for several hours or overnight. Do not let the water actually touch the hygrometer. If at the end of this time the relative humidity inside the bag is 75%, you're home free. (You should read it while it is still in the closed bag, because the second you take it out, the humidity in your house will begin to affect the reading.)

If the humidity is higher or lower, however, you will need to make a note of the % by which the hygrometer deviates, and always remember to mentally add or subtract that percentage during incubation to maintain the desired humidity: For example, if your humidity reading is 80%, you must always subtract 5% from whatever you see on the hygrometer. If it says 40%, you will know the real humidity is 35%.​

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[Sally Sunshine]

I already see 26 pages, I ain't got the patience for that!

Honesty is KEY !!!

whats new hippsters?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: How close are you to the ocean?

 

[kajira]

oh dang!! I hear MC needs a cat! bad kitty!!

eating and drinking is good, keep them warm

ummmm that roo wont protect the littles will he? without one of his hens mothering them?

my big roo hates the cats. I'm pretty sure he'd kill any cat that goes near any chicken that he considers "his"... when this orange cat was pestering my easter egges in their area, my roo wanted to tear through the fence to kill the cat.

I kicked his ***, and he still hasn't learned. I told my husband today that I'm okay if he shoots him. None of my other cats are so determined to kill animals that belong to us. but this cat... *eye twitch*

I don't know if he can be rehomed, he doesn't like strangers, at all. although, if a pecan farmer wanted him to catch mice/rats/squirrels, he'd probably do a good job.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

you know if its a typhoon and that huge and of big impact, why is it not on cnn or anything yet? I wanted to see the current radar images

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:
why dont you post him on CL as such and try to save his life at least? Paddler is gonna kill me for saying that..... pass the popcorn and my shield

 

[BantyChooks]

When your time comes they'll have to get the chickens out of the way before they can close the lid, just like the rest of us.

That's for sure!!

 

[lindalouly]

you know if its a typhoon and that huge and of big impact, why is it not on cnn or anything yet?  I wanted to see the current radar images

It's just the remnants... Of the storm. Tonight starts the session of three storm fronts. Not really typhoons but by Saturday we are suppose to get 70 mile an hour winds and lots of rain.

 

[lindalouly]

It's just the remnants... Of the storm. Tonight starts the session of three storm fronts. Not really typhoons but by Saturday we are suppose to get 70 mile an hour winds and lots of rain.

Kind of common weather around these parts...