First time incubating!

[teresami]

This is my first time incubating eggs and I'm having a very hard time keeping my humidity where it should be. First off any suggestions?... and my eggs when candled seem to be on track but I read somewhere to be worried about there air sac development.; it's only day 7 can I fix this?

 

[FridayYet]

I dont keep an eye on or monitor air sac size. I just keep temp within a few tenths of 99.5 and have humidity between 30% and 48% and let humidity naturaly rise the last two days. Dont play into the you must measure egg cells and candle every seven days crap. To many on here think their micro biologists and breed paranoia. I have 90% hatches and never candle, hatched hundreds of eggs without worry about a egg exploding. Just hatch and hatch again and enjoy. Youll be up all night if you play into the check this check that and check the otherthing.

Strader, you have probably hit on the perfect combination of temp and humidity that works well in your climate, with your incubators, and for your circumstances. If it's not broke, don't fix it!

When people are just starting out incubating, I think it's good to monitor air cells until you find the combination that works. Especially when incubator manuals are putting out info to incubate at 50-60% and to hatch at even higher levels, leading chicks to drown at the end.

Once people get the recipe that works for them, intensive monitoring becomes much less necessary - but it can still be a lot of fun for people that just like to see what's going on inside the egg!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Where is your humidity at? If your air sac growth is slow then your humidity should be lowered. Some here at BYC incubate dry first 18 days. Personally I run 30-35% humidity those days then up to 70-75% for last few days. Found that at that humidity the air sac growth is right on track. With house humidity at 30% it takes a double shot glass of water set next to the egg turner to achieve 33% in incubator. Humidity is changed by changing the surface area of water in incubator. For hatching 70% RH it takes two coffee cups set in incubator for me.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Note: The 7 day air cell I never achieve. Think these charts are off or they used old eggs. 10 days looks more like day 7. The rest are good.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Where is your humidity at? If your air sac growth is slow then your humidity should be lowered. Some here at BYC incubate dry first 18 days. Personally I run 30-35% humidity those days then up to 70-75% for last few days. Found that at that humidity the air sac growth is right on track. With house humidity at 30% it takes a double shot glass of water set next to the egg turner to achieve 33% in incubator. Humidity is changed by changing the surface area of water in incubator. For hatching 70% RH it takes two coffee cups set in incubator for me.

xs 2. I prefer 30%, and can usually maintain that completely dry if I am hatching in late spring/summer. Fall and winter I have to add a wet sponge to keep it right around 30% I am usually on track with my air cells, even at day 7, but I don't really worry too much about the size (unless it's extrememly small or big) until days 10-14.

 

[teresami]

Thank you! and I ran it dry for the past few days and have seen some major strides in my air sac development... hopefully its going to be enough (hatch day is April 8-9!)

 

[teresami]

And it begins!!! Thanks so much you guys!

 

[FridayYet]

And it begins!!! Thanks so much you guys!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

 

[teresami]

So my days may have been one off... I'm not sure now but...