First time Incubating...Need Step by Step to do list!

[Kristy in WA]

Hi everyone,
I am going to ask for a favor! I am getting eggs shipped to me on Wednesday from California. When they arrive, I need to know WHAT TO DO NEXT!!! If anyone, or several of you would like to compile a simple step by step list of what I need to know about incubating eggs, I'd truly appreciate it. Or, if you can guide me to a thread that has already discussed this in detail for a newbie, that would be fine also. I will be gone all day Tuesday, but will check back here on Wednesday to see all of the wisdom that has been left here for me!!!! Thanks so very much in advance! I have so enjoyed this board, really, more than any other board I've been a member of! Kristy

PS, I need basic info...how do I disinfect my borrowed incubator? Which way do I lay the eggs in it? What do they rest on? Do I need a humidity gauge of some sort? There are several thermometers in the bator, do I need all 4 of them? By day 18, I don't touch them anymore, right? And I DON"T OPEN the bator after day 18? And something happens on day 5? I know I mark them with a pencil only, or at least that is what I have read....just stuff like this, what to do, the basics., etc!!! Thanks!

 

[william9792]

1st when eggs get there you need to let them rest ( come up to room temp) ( 12 hours most times)
2nd have bator going for two days before eggs get there ( to make sure temp and humidty are stable) (99.5 for forced air, 101 still air) humidty 35 to45%
3rd eggs can go in cardboard egg cartons in bator if you don't have turner (little end down--- big end up) ( cartons - top cut off and dime size holes cut in each egg slot)
4th after you set eggs do not turn temp up for 5 hours, let it bring eggs up to temp and stableize, then adjust if needed
5th turn eggs 3 to 5 times aday ( tilt cartons to 30 deg each way) for days 1-18 after morning turn on day 18 lay them flat and bring humidty up to 50 to 55% for eggs to hatch ( place a brick under outside of bator on oneside, then when time to turn eggs move brick to other side, to turn egg to 30 deg)
6th to bring humidty up for hatch place a small sponge in bator to hold water
if you have more ? just pm me and i will try to answer them
william

 

[Kristy in WA]

Thank you William! I have a Little Giant still air incubator. I see a temperature dial on it. Someone else told me to put a bowl of water in right now while I'm getting temperature correct. How do I adjust the humidity??? Do I leave a little bowl of water in there? A sponge?? When you say dime size hole, do you mean at the bottom where the tip of the egg is pointing down? So, when the eggs come, I just leave them out on my kitchen counter so they can get room temp stabilized? They are shipping Thursday, and hopefully arriving Saturday. I just turned the bator on this evening. Is it bad for me to just leave it and go to bed? Can it get too hot and be damaged tonight? Thanks!

Of course, ANYONE can jump in here and answer these questions! Thanks all! Kristy

 

[LilDucky85]

I just got my Little Giant and too am incubating for the first time! The first day I had such a hard time controlling the temp because I was doing it wrong. After 7 hours I gave up and shut it off for the night! I was also worried it would get damaged. Actually I thought I broke it already because it got up to 120 degrees!

Today I figured out what I was doing wrong and it only took me less than an hour to regulate the temperature. Its now been 99-100 degrees all day. I cant seem to get the humidity where I need it to be (86% for Duck eggs) so I cut the bottom off a plastic cup and put it in the center. The humidity only rose 10% so Im still working on that.

 

[LilDucky85]

William9792.... you said 101 degrees for still air?? The directions dont indicate which temperature to use for still air or forced air! It just says 99.5 degrees?

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I recommend putting on a pot of coffee and reading this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=113681