First hatch! -getting ready

[WilsonChickies]

Morning all!

I just want to make sure I have my steps right.

Three days prior to hatch I am to:
-Remove eggs from turner
-Candle and see which ones developed correctly, and discard the rest -mark where the air pocket is on the good eggs
-Put in a non slip surface for the babies in incubator
-Return eggs lying down
-Lock down until they hatch and are dry and fluffy (Obviously watching to make sure none of them need assistance)

Am I missing anything?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Maybe raise the humidity?

You don't HAVE to candle but it doesn't hurt. Yo don't have to mark the air cell, but it won't hurt.

What floor does your incubator have? Mine has a non-slip wire mesh on it.

 

[WilsonChickies]

I just won’t want rotten eggs exploding on my hatchlings lol. So I’ll probably candle just to get the bad ones out.
It is a mesh floor, but it’s slick.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Candling will not get the rotting eggs out. Sniffing them will. What causes the rotting is that bacteria gets inside and multiplies quickly at incubation temperature. It doesn't matter if the egg is developing or not, if bacteria gets inside it will rot.

I candle my eggs when I go into lockdown in my incubator. That's not because I'm worried about them rotting, I'm just making more room for the hatching. It's easier to keep track of the eggs as they hatch if there are fewer of them.

I never candle eggs under a broody hen. The only time I had a rotten egg under a broody hen was when a thin-shelled egg broke early in the incubation, the egg material coated some other eggs and let bacteria in. That was a total failure of a hatch. Candling did not catch that, smell did.

You probably read that about candling to avoid rotting eggs on this forum. I see that a lot. But that does not match my experience.

 

[BrinseaUS]

Raising the humidity is important for hatch! Poultry is 40-50% during incubation and then raise it to 65%+ for hatching.

 

[WilsonChickies]

You can see a chick when you candle, yes? That’s my point

 

[WilsonChickies]

Raising the humidity is important for hatch! Poultry is 40-50% during incubation and then raise it to 65%+ for hatching.

This is the part I’m hearing so many different views on. I read 65 as well. But I have other people telling me that in the 50s is okay too. I’m planning on using a sponge for hatching. My incubator doesn't like to stay in the 60s.

 

[BrinseaUS]

This is the part I’m hearing so many different views on. I read 65 as well. But I have other people telling me that in the 50s is okay too. I’m planning on using a sponge for hatching. My incubator doesn't like to stay in the 60s.

Humidity is definitely something that people argue about... If your incubator won't stay in the 60s then there could be two problems. One, your humidity gauge could be inaccurate, which is something you need to verify (if you haven't already). Two, the ambient conditions could be causing problems (for example if the incubator is in the same room as a dehumidifier).

 

[WilsonChickies]

Humidity is definitely something that people argue about... If your incubator won't stay in the 60s then there could be two problems. One, your humidity gauge could be inaccurate, which is something you need to verify (if you haven't already). Two, the ambient conditions could be causing problems (for example if the incubator is in the same room as a dehumidifier).

Hmmm... I have the eggs on my kitchen counter in their incubator. That was the most draft free spot in my house. The dishwasher runs a few times a week, but that’s the only thing that would cause extra condensation. How do I check to see if the gauge is off kilter?

 

[BrinseaUS]

Hmmm... I have the eggs on my kitchen counter in their incubator. That was the most draft free spot in my house. The dishwasher runs a few times a week, but that’s the only thing that would cause extra condensation. How do I check to see if the gauge is off kilter?

You can buy a hygrometer and verify the humidity that way!