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

[ChickenCanoe]

I knew what you meant; just messing with your mind

You're an expert at that.

I do that too but I think you're better at it.
We do need to get together some day to bowl, play pool or go to a baseball game. It would be a hoot.
p.s. I'm not a good bowler.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this...so please bear with me, but I got the job of babysitting the school incubator for spring break...don't even go there with how stressful getting home on the 5 minute drive was with the babies. That said, I examined the outside of the incubator and the teacher had put a cute, little sign on it that said: "Chicken Eggs, Incubation Time: 21 days, Days 1-17 99.5-100 degrees, 50-60% humidity. Day 18, humidity up to 70% and out of turner"

I guess that surprised me because I read a lot on BYC and most people seem to be keeping their humidity much lower in both still and forced air incubation. BUT, I started talking to Dr. Google and looked at a lot of state ag and university pages instructing in incubating and their recommendation was at that 50-60% level. Now, I'm not so stupid that I believe college wonks over experienced hatchers, but it did cause me to ponder what the differences were all about. Any ideas? I'm not trying to challenge anyone, I'm just generally curious and wanting to do the right thing. Thanks in advance!!

Everyone is correct. RH isn't a set number for incubation. All eggs are different. Some are more porous than others. That can be affected by pigment. If all eggs come from the same flock, RH required will be consistent. I think the scientific studies that recommend 50%+ are with white egg layers like leghorns or hybrids developed from them.
Pigmented eggs will have different requirements.

The 5 minute drive home didn't hurt them. Hens come off a nest almost every day for much longer than that depending on ambient temperature.

College wonks are smart and do things scientifically but smallholders have experience with different flocks than what are used in the studies.
It isn't that we're smarter or have more scientific tools, we just have experience with our flocks.

Spring break probably means you are in control for about 9 days. I would candle and see where they stand now as to the air cell size.

Welcome!

Most likely is a result of living in different places, different egg ages, and different types of incubators... Cabinets seem to require higher humidity than the tabletop models most of us use. Even so; 60% for any incubator seems much too high.

Kudos to you for checking out different sources and trying to find the best information possible.

Ralphie, you run 45% in your cabinets, correct?

Some day, I may use a guaranteed accurate hygrometer, but until I do, I use a scale instead.
I weighed yesterday on day 9. They should have lost just under 6% of their weight. I had a little water in it when they started but it has been bone dry for a few days.
The eggs were between a gram light to spot on. I added water to the reservoirs and that's all I'll do till day 19.
It works without stressing about RH.

 

[BantyChooks]

I hate sneaky, mean cats, 'specially when they're enablers, to boot.

Enablers, every one of them!!

I am surprised she hasn't dumped a load of eggs in my bator yet this month. Little buggar is probably busy whispering broody thoughts into Jace's ear.

 

[BantyChooks]

Everyone is correct. RH isn't a set number for incubation. All eggs are different. Some are more porous than others. That can be affected by pigment. If all eggs come from the same flock, RH required will be consistent. I think the scientific studies that recommend 50%+ are with white egg layers like leghorns or hybrids developed from them.
Pigmented eggs will have different requirements.

Another good point.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Mornin Peter! hope your well! how those eggs comin along?

Quote:

Hi whites! yeah I guess. I been miserable. nuff said?

Quote: But the real question is, did Joey stick around?

@Ur-ur-ur-urrr SNOW we had flooding nasty muddy cant stand it, dogs a mess goats are hibernating! Eggs are nasty dirty!

Quote: I seen Dans Ducklings, another good hatch! extra toenail? weird, I just saw on FB group a cow that has two noses lol cant drink from bottle so they tubing it, not sure how that will come out.... What kinda banding system? comb tags?

soph go to TSC with too much cash?? he he he GO CH GO!!! awesome!! lmao pullet roosters eh?

 

[livhatcher]

@ChickenCanoe I wish I had their initial weights!! Tomorrow is day 10 for them so I will take a look. This babysitting has me so nervous--the mix of eggs from bantam size to the uber chicken bielefelder egg size is making me crazy!

@BantyChooks I'm trying to get it down a bit so at least for my 9 days of egg sitting they got a break if teacher is shooting for as high as 60. That said, she's like agriculture teacher of the year in Georgia and hatches every year so maybe I'm the crazy one!!

thank you for your replies!! all told I have 31 good looking eggs so we'll wait and see!!

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: Expert...
Ex = a "has been"
Spurt = a drip under pressure

That said, everyone needs to be good at something.

Getting together really would be a hoot; not sure either of us would survive it.
You'd no doubt clean my plow on the pool table, but on a good day I may still be able to make a decent showing on the lanes.

 

[BantyChooks]

Hi whites! yeah I guess. I been miserable. nuff said?

Sorry Sunshine

 

[Sally Sunshine]

@ChickenCanoe I wish I had their initial weights!! Tomorrow is day 10 for them so I will take a look. This babysitting has me so nervous--the mix of eggs from bantam size to the uber chicken bielefelder egg size is making me crazy!

@BantyChooks I'm trying to get it down a bit so at least for my 9 days of egg sitting they got a break if teacher is shooting for as high as 60. That said, she's like agriculture teacher of the year in Georgia and hatches every year so maybe I'm the crazy one!!

thank you for your replies!! all told I have 31 good looking eggs so we'll wait and see!!

Good luck Liv!

Quote: eh its fine I am getting over it

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: eh its fine I am getting over it
Harmony holding her own, or getting better?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When I bred my Black Copper Marans rooster to my RSL hens the egg color didn't change. But when I bred that same rooster to his daughters, the eggs were/are considerably darker, which is exactly what I was told here would happen.

That makes perfect sense. The sperm won't change the color of the shell of a hen it has impregnated. Shell color is the genetics of the hen.
However, the offspring will have the genetics of both parents.

Sally!!!

Hmmm...
Joey stopped by & has HRIR hatching, camping has SH hatching, Liz is getting snow, the enablers are out in full force here, MNers are generally regarded as insane, and the rest is pretty much the usual insanity.

Quote:

Oh, forgot to add...
Dan has ducklings, Anne has a chick with an extra toenail, all the southerners have lovely green stuff, 5sons got an MRI and debated sneaking eggs in there with him, Ralphie is going to try a new banding system, Dan's goat kidded, Sophie got chicks, CH's cockatiel egg is doing well, Benny, his DW, and whites' DW all had a bday on the 30th, and TSC now carries "pullet roosters".

pretty darn good
pullet roosters would make perfect pets

@ChickenCanoe I wish I had their initial weights!! Tomorrow is day 10 for them so I will take a look. This babysitting has me so nervous--the mix of eggs from bantam size to the uber chicken bielefelder egg size is making me crazy!

@BantyChooks I'm trying to get it down a bit so at least for my 9 days of egg sitting they got a break if teacher is shooting for as high as 60. That said, she's like agriculture teacher of the year in Georgia and hatches every year so maybe I'm the crazy one!!

thank you for your replies!! all told I have 31 good looking eggs so we'll wait and see!!

Without the initial weights you have to go with air cell size. Don't stress yourself out. As important as humidity is, turning and temperature are more important.
You'll likely get all sorts of different air cell sizes with that mix.
Take a deep breath and a chill pill.

Expert...
Ex = a "has been"
Spurt = a drip under pressure

That said, everyone needs to be good at something.

Getting together really would be a hoot; not sure either of us would survive it.
You'd no doubt clean my plow on the pool table, but on a good day I may still be able to make a decent showing on the lanes.

Trust me, you would.
I haven't bowled in years.