First batch of eggs with home built Incubator!

[Teppler]

Okay after months of research and some original design work I finally put my first batch of 13 eggs in home built incubator.
Temp setting is 100degF and Humidity is set at 50%. Control is by electronic temp controller and Arduino Micro processor programmed to control Humidity by cycling fan off and on depending on Humidity reading from a DHT11 Temp and Humidity Sensor.
Plan is to candle eggs at 6 days and stop turning at 18 days and then raise humidity to 75% till hopefully hatching starts.

Comments appreciated,

 

[RubyNala97]

Okay after months of research and some original design work I finally put my first batch of 13 eggs in home built incubator.
  Temp setting is 100degF and Humidity is set at 50%. Control is by electronic temp controller and Arduino Micro processor programmed to control Humidity by cycling fan off and on depending on Humidity reading from a DHT11 Temp and Humidity Sensor.
  Plan is to candle eggs at 6 days and stop turning at 18 days and then raise humidity to 75% till hopefully hatching starts.

Comments appreciated,

What breed eggs are you hatching? And, I wasn't totally sure from your post, is your incubator considered still air or forced air? Temps will vary depending on that. Otherwise, I'm excited for you. 50% humidity may be fine or it may be high, just make sure you monitor your air cell growth closely so you can adjust your humidity accordingly. They should grow like this:

 

[Teppler]

Mixed variety of eggs, white eggs ,several green and the rest brown. I have a fan that I use to lower humidity and if needed I can add water so it raises humidity. I keep room there are in air conditioned and can keep humidity to a level I can control. It is all experimental at this time and will adjust my temps etc as I see my results from this batch, I have to maintain the temp settings etc so I have a base for next incubation. Looking forward to my first candling.

 

[RubyNala97]

Mixed variety of eggs, white eggs ,several green and the rest brown. I have a fan that I use to lower humidity and if needed I can add water so it raises humidity. I keep room there are in air conditioned and can keep humidity to a level I can control. It is all experimental at this time and will adjust my temps etc as I see my results from this batch, I have to maintain the temp settings etc so I have a base for next incubation. Looking forward to my first candling.

Yeah, sounds exciting! Forced air temp is 99.5 and still air temps are 101-102 at the top of the eggs. Low temps can delay hatch and cause some developmental issues and high temps can speed up development and cause early hatch. Maybe raise the temp 1 degree to 101 or 100.5, since your incubator sounds like half the time it's still air and half forced. Or just take that into consideration for next time depending on your hatch results this time.

 

[Teppler]

Yes I am getting excited about first candling just hope I have some kind of developing embryo, thanks for the advice will see what candling shows and make adjustments based on that. If I have defined webs and dark spots on majority I will just let it run as is.

 

[Teppler]

Here are results of my first try at incubating 13 eggs with my home built Incubator, I'm thinking I did a lot of things wrong such as turning the eggs every time I passed by the incubator, my auto controls did a great job returning the temps and Humidity to set pts. Set the temps at 100 degF till now, Humidity at 55% first 18 days then 70% till now, it has been 20 days and 4 have hatched so far. watched the first two after piping 12 hrs so helped them a little with peeling egg shell and membrane back..they popped right out, I told you I did many things contrary to advice here just experimenting a little.. last two were slow getting out but now all 4 are running around and eating..hoping more will start piping but 4 out of 13 isn't bad
.
The picture does not show I added a second box with a fan that I turn on if the Humidity gets too high and it lowers it.

 

[BaileyMChicks]

Anymore hatch out?

 

[Teppler]

I have 5 eggs hatched so far and sure that is all I will get. Last one pipped and then didn't progress for 12 hrs so I decided to help it and it is now out resting and cheeping up a storm...5 out of 13 is okay with me sure learned a lot so next hatch will be better I am sure.

 

[MeepBeep]

You should really have a fan running 24/7 circulating the air so you don't have hot and cold spots, it can make a world of difference...

 

[Teppler]

I actually have a fan ready to install for the next batch thanks for the response..