First Time Egg Candler Scared!

[LaLee]

Newbie and first hatch here. I have a Hova-bator 1602N (thought I bought a 1588 model not real sure what difference that will make.)
I bought some nice fertile eggs locally and set all 41 eggs.

I have been searching the backyard chicken site for information about temperatures and humidity for hatching. The instructions that came with the the incubator said Humidity 45 to 50% for day 1-18 and 65-80% after day 18. Temperatures from 99.5° to 100° with a grace of + or - 2°.

I have done my best to keep the temperatures inside of the incubator steady between 99.5 and 100°. The temperature has been as low as 98.8° and as high as 100.8°. The humidity has ranged from 42% to as high as 56%. I have not had a lot of time to read this whole thread I stopped at page 2 thinking the humidity may be killing my babies, Do I need to empty the water out of my incubator? Today is day 6 so I candle tomorrow. Does high humidity affect the development of the embryo? Do you think they'll make it?

NOW I'll keep reading the thread to my post OH MY !

Says 40+ pages!!!

Lol, might be a while! ><>

Thanks for reading and sharing your hatching knowledge!!! May you and your hatches be blessed!

 

[sideWing]

The humidity will not kill your eggs so you are in good shape.

I love reading "My first hatch" and "41 eggs" in your first post. Reminds me of .... me.

 

[sideWing]

Does your incubator have a fan?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Newbie and first hatch here. I have a Hova-bator 1602N (thought I bought a 1588 model not real sure what difference that will make.)
I bought some nice fertile eggs locally and set all 41 eggs.

I have been searching the backyard chicken site for information about temperatures and humidity for hatching. The instructions that came with the the incubator said Humidity 45 to 50% for day 1-18 and 65-80% after day 18. Temperatures from 99.5° to 100° with a grace of + or - 2°.

I have done my best to keep the temperatures inside of the incubator steady between 99.5 and 100°. The temperature has been as low as 98.8° and as high as 100.8°. The humidity has ranged from 42% to as high as 56%. I have not had a lot of time to read this whole thread I stopped at page 2 thinking the humidity may be killing my babies, Do I need to empty the water out of my incubator? Today is day 6 so I candle tomorrow. Does high humidity affect the development of the embryo? Do you think they'll make it?

NOW I'll keep reading the thread to my post OH MY !

Says 40+ pages!!!

Lol, might be a while! ><>

Thanks for reading and sharing your hatching knowledge!!! May you and your hatches be blessed!

Hi and

Humidity won't "kill" your eggs it will keep the egg from loosing enough moisture which in turn can compromise the chick from hatching when it is time. I highly recommend a low humidity incubation especially for the styrofoam bators. This is the method that I use and if you have a checked and accurate thermometer/hygrometer (never trust the gages on the bators if they have not been checked or on any thermometer/hygrometer for that matter,) and a steady bator I swear by it: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

No matter what you are using as a percentage, checking the air cells will give you an idea of rather your humidity is adequate or not.

Temps however can kill the developing chicks. If you are u sing a still air you want to hold temps aound 101-102F taken near the top of the egg. If you have a forced air incubator 99.5 is your goal. You want to keep it above 99 to keep the development from being delayed. You don't want it rising above 101/102 for long periods of time and higher than that will kill them at shorter periods of time.

 

[sideWing]

LOL. There's no cure either. Sorry to say. I have 20 eggs in the bator that go on lockdown Thursday.

TO SIDEWING... THERE COULD BE WORSE THINGS....

They are cute little stinkers!

 

[BYC910]

yeah that's what they are got feathers and all. take two pill of any kind and post in the morning won't cure it but might slow it down. sadly this is a very common illness you have and can be caught by sight.be careful where you look. AUZLDY turn your mesh over when you load again . LaLee

follow Amy's advice I did and it worked.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

They are cute little stinkers!

Awe. They are cute.

 

[LaLee]

Thank you Amy. The link to the post you referred me to is gone

. So, when I candle tomorrow I will empty the water channels to lower the humidity. I'll keep the humidity low until I remove the turner. Then get 'em ready to hatcjh. Does that sound good? Anything I missed?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you Amy. The link to the post you referred me to is gone

. So, when I candle tomorrow I will empty the water channels to lower the humidity. I'll keep the humidity low until I remove the turner. Then get 'em ready to hatcjh. Does that sound good? Anything I missed?

Not sure what you mean "it's gone". If you click on the link (it's in my siggy at the bottom of my posts as well) it should take you right to the blog post.

 

[WVduckchick]

Link just worked for me.