First time incubator - Lots of questions

[TheChickenGirl16]

How much? Some. In many cases not a lot but the longer you store them before incubation starts the more it matters.

This is like a lot of things. Not following the suggestions does not mean that none will hatch. In many cases you can get a decent or even a good hatch. But following the suggestions improves your odds of getting a good hatch. Even if you follow everything perfectly you are still not guaranteed a good hatch.


What kind of incubator do you have, still air or forced air? In a forced air 99.5 F (37.5 C) is considered the temperature to aim for. In a still air it will depend in what elevation the eggs are and what elevation you are taking the temperature.

You don't have to hit the temperature exactly, but you should be close. If your average temperature is a little low the eggs might hatch late. If the average is high they can be early. But you should be as close as you can to get a good hatch.


This varies for different people with different incubators in different locations. Some people do great with a humidity of 30% during incubation. Others do great with humidities near 50%. There are a lot of different factors involved. I generally recommend be consistent with your hatch and adjust humidies as needed based on the results. For lockdown I generally suggest a minimum of 65% to reduce your chances of shrink wrapping.


It depends on the hatch. Some are 0%, some are 100%. And it depends on how you calculate it. Some people calculate it based on how many eggs are set versus how many chicks hatch. Others calculate it based on how many eggs make it to lockdown after candling.



Depends on your incubator and how the air flow is managed. Late in incubation and at hatch you need decent ventilation. If shelf liner blocks that it could be a fatal problem.

I'm not familiar with your incubator or how slick that floor is. Do your instructions have any suggestions for what to do during lockdown?

My incubator is totally different. It came with 1/4" hardware cloth to put down during lockdown to give them traction.


I do. The hatch rate is often not as good and the chick survival rate of the ones that do hatch is sometimes not as good as from chicks hatched from non-pullet eggs. There are valid reasons to not hatch pullet eggs but that does not mean that some will not hatch and live.


I eat mine.

Thank you very much!
I have done a ton of research since I posted this morning. My main concern is humidity. So you’ve pretty much answered that for me!

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Ideally you need to store them pointy end down and then tilt them side to side once a day

37.5 deg c or 99 deg f
The better the incubator the less variance in temp. Too much temp variance and you run into issues

Humidity is a much debated topic.
I have my humidity set at an average of about 45% for the first 18 days then bump it up to 65ish at lockdown.
But other swear by dry hatching, there are plenty of threads on this


Average hatch rate depends on about 35184 different factors


Yes a non slip mat is a good idea but not absolutely necessary

Yes hatching pullet eggs is fine... they are generally smaller eggs and consequently smaller chicks.



Are you set up for when you do have chicks? Brooders etc

Thank you! I will most certainly look into dry hatching as well!
Yes, I have a great brooder! I call it the CHICK-U, (NIC-U).

I have done many, many batches of chicks, just never incubated.