first time incubating any tips?

[1Chick Magnet]

I have a hova bator genesis. have not pluged it in yet. I have collected some eggs and was thinking about sun for a start date. all advice is welcome. I have pure silkie and mixed silkie eggs. all my birds are less than a year old so I hope the eggs are fertile. anybody know how old a roo needs to be to reproduce? the roos are silkie.

 

[katrinag]

You need to let the bator run and warm up first. Have you cracked ant egg to check fertility?

 

[Jamie821]

If he is a year old and active should be no prob with fertility. If sunday in set date you need to go ahead and get the bator up running and stabillizing. When it is stable add the eggs but dont adjust temp until and couple of hours or so as the eggs need time to warm up on the inside so your temp will stay low until this happens. if forced air temp 99.5 if still air 101. I keep my humidity not over 40 and I try to average 35 and dont add water till it gets down to 25. the first eighteen days. Then on the last three days for hatch I raise my humidity to around 60 give or take . When a egg hatches your humidity will spike up but it will come back down. Take you vent plugs out as the bator will use some of the moisture from the air. After you put eggs in the bator the last three days for hatch do not i repeat do not open the bator.

 

[1Chick Magnet]

started my bator this am. it is self regulating. current temp is 100.1. humidity is 48. how do I get it lower? eggs are in cellar at 50 degrees. should I bring them upstairs tonight so they will warm slowly?

 

[ghillie]

When I started my Hovabator 1588 it held 101.2 to 101. I turned off #4 and turned on #3 and it is now holding 99.3 to 99.8. There is a thread on here about the hovabator 1588 that has varying info on changing temp. best of luck.....joe

 

[1Chick Magnet]

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thanks Joe I will see if I can find the thread.

 

[1Chick Magnet]

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what will you be hatching?

 

[ghillie]

I have 8 eggs. 5 Speckled Sussex & 3 Barnevelder. Best of luck on your hatch!

 

[ghillie]

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You should let them get to room temp before putting in bator....joe

 

[1Chick Magnet]

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best of luck to you also. I have 16 eggs sitting on my desk warming up. going to set them tonight. silkies and silkie mixes. I have some barnvelder on order from ideal for the end of april. would love to see pictures when yours hatch.