First time hatching advice

[aart]

Currently I have a spray bottle and I lift the lid and mist it on each side quickly so as to not release the heat.

Not a good way to add humidity, spraying the eggs will cool them...and not maintain the humidity..also 50-60 may be a bit high.
Here's some really good info to read:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

 

[GotCoop]

I am also incubating for the first time. I live in East Tennessee and the humidity changes on the daily. I’ve read to keep humidity between 40-50% so it’s been pretty steady. I’ve had to adjust once a day usually just by adding water if it gets too low. The temp I’m trying to keep between 37.2-38.0 Celsius because that’s what my incubator reads. So 99-101 degrees Fahrenheit. Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Sounds like you're doing fine. When you do your candling mark the location of the air sack. It should be slightly increasing in size as time passes.

 

[GotCoop]

oliverj, I agree with aart, you can let the humidity down a bit and maybe try some small damp sponges instead of spray. If the incubator humidity hovers around your ambient humidity of 40 percent that would not be bad. When it comes to lockdown that's when you need to be able jack up the humidity (60-70%)...again wet sponges in small containers of water might work.
Unfortunately, getting to know the idiosyncrasies of an incubator requires you to actually go through the hatching process and learn and adjust along the way. Let us know how it is going when you do the candling on day 7/8.

 

[oliverj102]

Up to Day 19 now. ( I think they hatch from day 21-25 as some are MASSIVE!)

While my incubator has a humidity gauge, it cant actually adjust it.. which seems contrary to the description full automatic... All I can do is add water. If I dont it drops to 20-30. If I do it goes to 60ish for a few days..

Ive just candled the eggs as I have no idea if this thing has even worked.

Of the 12 bought Orpington Eggs I bought, 8 are transparent, some with faint vein signs. Ive moved them to one side as i suspect they have failed. The other 4 are very dark inside, only a air bubble is visible.

Of the 10 I gathered in my garden, 9 are very dark and heavy. The only light passing through is at the air sack, one is slightly lighter but still doesn't allow light to pass through.

I candled an egg from my fridge that I took from my chickens and it lights up like a bulb when candled so something is defiantly different!

Do you reckon I should remove the 8 that are transparent from the bought Buff Orpingtons? Im rather disappointed at a 33% possible success rate from a breeder when eggs i collected off the grass and wiped clean are possibly 95-100%

I could do with some advice about my selection.. none have any signs of cracks and no smell other then warm eggs shell.. should I remove the 8 that are fully transparent with barely a black vein in them? I would hate for them to taint the few survivors!

 

[aart]

I candled an egg from my fridge that I took from my chickens and it lights up like a bulb when candled so something is defiantly different!

Do you reckon I should remove the 8 that are transparent from the bought Buff Orpingtons? Im rather disappointed at a 33% possible success rate from a breeder when eggs i collected off the grass and wiped clean are possibly 95-100%

Yes, the ones that light all up are either infertile or just didn't develop,
you can remove them.
On day 19 all viable eggs would be mostly dark with only air cell lighting up.
Shipped eggs often have low hatch rates, they get shook up during shipping.

 

[oliverj102]

I was worried that was what happened... there are no Buff Orpington chickens within 250 miles of me at least.. despite a lot of people wanting them. Hopefully the 4 remaining will hatch and at least 1 will be a hen! Ill recheck the 8 ive separated out but I think they are infertile or failed alas

 

[Jess89]

I’m on day 21 I had two pipping when I woke up this morning and humidity was in 55%. Should I open it and add some water while they are pipping?

 

[Cyprus]

Honestly, to each their own. We aren't sheep; we don't all need to do exactly the same thing. Conventional thought in the modern world is that artificially incubated eggs should be incubated at a temperature of 99.5-101.5F, turned at least 3 times a day and have RH of 20-30% during normal incubation and about 60% during prehatch and active hatching. But that's only conventional thought.

Reality is that it doesn't have to be that way. My own experience has taught me that eggs can be washed and set, they can be incubated at about 96F and still hatch fine, they can be left unturned for a few days to a week and still be fine, they can have a 12%(+/-) RH and still hatch without shrinkwrapping and that 3 species can all hatch in the same incubator.

I spray my eggs and was never worse off for it. I candle every day. Everyone hatched. So honestly, follow what you want to do and as long as heat is there and turning happens at least once in a while it's fine.

 

[Shezadandy]

Here's the best video I've ever seen that shows the progression from egg to chick. Yes, there's the one with the Japanese students, but this one is much clearer and more comprehensive. The actual development starts at 4:44 if that's the part you want to watch as opposed to the setup.

 

[oliverj102]

Day 21 just started and when i looked in the incubator I have 2 pipped eggs. 1 is a full impact, where the little bruiser knocked a chunk off the outside, exposing a large area of the membrane, the other is an impact mark like a bullet hitting metal. I carefully lifted the bruiser out and they are chirping wildly so defiantly eager the finish the job!

1. When I hatched ducklings I found that the first one out spurred the rest to get a move on. will chickens do this too?

2. Also, should I remove them from the turning racks and place them on the hatching floor. The pipping started in the past 8 hours while I slept.

The hatching floor is a suspended tight mesh floor above the water reservoir so identical conditions, but cant rotate the eggs.

what temperature should the chicks be in when they have hatched? my ducklings just had a beanbag hot water bottle as I didn't have any incubator/brooder. I have the incubator this time so can I theoretically alter the temp and humidity inside and use it as a brooder for a few days while they get stronger?

My house never drops below 18 degrees so they wont exactly freeze even if they have nothing! I just want them to be happy!