First time hatching, I think I have bad luck....

[AmyLynn2374]

I am off work Mon/Tues so I am going to try raising the temp. My friend did bring me 5 more eggs tonight fresh from the coop this afternoon so I'm going to put them in also. The temp control works really well and does not swing too bad so I should be able to do it without too many problems. It's the cheapo job from tractor supply but it does hold temp OK......

Hi there!! I have the same incubator (only with the fan kit installed) and have been having good hatches. xs 2 on the temp suggestion. Still air should be about 101-102F taken near the TOP of the eggs. I see you have the basic little incubator thermometer. If I may I would suggest that if it hasn't been checked for accuracy you may want to do that. I use at least two in my bator as I lost my first hatch attempt to a brand new thermometer that was way off. Another thing is humidity. What are you running the humidity at? A lot of people that go by the manufacture info end up running the humidity in these styrofoam bators too high and compromising their hatches. I also see that you have your red plugs in. When you go into lockdown at day 18, just make sure you pull those so that the bator has enough fresh air circulating in there. I don't mean to be pushy, just wanted to get that out there.

 

[cajun chicken]

Thanks for the info! I was able to turn it up a little this morning and it's now at 102. Not sure about humidity because I don't have a hygrometer. I am just keeping the trough filled with water, I hope that's good ??? I am buying a meat thermometer right now to double check the other one. Thanks

 

[WalnutHill]

once the trough is empty, leave it empty for a day or two, then refill only the smaller water reservoir. After a week, candling will tell you if you need more or less water.

 

[cajun chicken]

You say candling will tell me about humidity, how so? Dead/alive or what ?

 

[WalnutHill]

As the egg incubates, water is lost through evaporation through the shell. Humidity in the incubator needs to be managed so that the air cell is not too small or too large, as both conditions can lead to the chicks dying before or during hatching.

The Hatching Eggs 101 article in the Learning Center gives a whole tutorial on how to improve your success. Here is an illustration from the article:



This is a general guideline, and each egg will lose moisture at a slightly different rate due to the individual characteristics of each shell. A more porous egg, showing light spots when candling, will have a larger air cell than an egg that is uniformly consistent and thick when candled. Colored shells are harder to candle but don't significantly affect moisture transmission. And air cells are not always tilted by day 7, they may be a cap right across the top. Each egg is a unique creation. But by day 18, there will be a tilt in the air cell. The lowest spot is where the chick should pip.

Handling eggs with bare hands will coat the eggs with skin oils, reducing vapor transmission. Handle the eggs as little as possible and only with clean hands or gloves.

Washing eggs, scraping/sanding shells, or wiping eggs will also make them lose more moisture.

Use the average air cell development to gauge your progress. Add 100F water to the water tray if the air cells are bigger than they should be for the stage in development. Check every 3 days or so if you do add water to correct air cell development, the air cell should grow proportionately between the lines in the image.

Candling will also show embryo development. 7 days is the best time for a first candling. You should see veins and the shadow of an embryo. If unsure, check again in a few days. Eggs with a "ring around the collar", a band around the middle, are bad. Eggs that don't show veining after 10 days, unless they are REALLY dark eggs, are bad. If in doubt, leave them in, but if you catch a nasty whiff, find the bad one and get it out right away. The stench of an exploded egg is something that will stick with you for life, as will the memory of the protracted retching that accompanies the cleanup.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You say candling will tell me about humidity, how so? Dead/alive or what ?

Yup. Candling and monitoring your air cells is the best way to know if your humidity is working for you. This is my method: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

 

[cajun chicken]

That is a good read... I really appreciate everyone's input because it's obvious that I didn't do my research before starting this.

 

[cajun chicken]

By the way, I added 6 more eggs this morning and a back up thermometer. They both read the same so i guess they're accurate. I think being at 99.5 instead of 101-102 is the major factor in my failure but I hope to learn and improve in future hatchings.