Going into lockdown and the temp wants to climb!

[Nodaksnakelover]

I am using a King Suro 20 incubator. Testy little thing! All through incubation I've been tapping the temp up or down a wee little. I have TWO digital thermometers inside with the one probe on top of the egg on one side, and down between two eggs on the other side. And both read differently. Though by about a degree difference. Through incubation I let the one read 99.4, and the other always read 101.2 to 101.7. So I'm pretty spot on. But now today I took the incubator out of it's cradle and upped the humidity to 67%. And now both thermometers are reading about the same but at the high end. 101.8! So now I'm trying to get the temp to back down so they are both reading closer to 99.9. Am I assuming correctly that it's due to the higher humidity plus the heat the chicks are now producing themselves? Or, I hope not, the eggs that weren't fertile are beginning to rot a little more warmly? It's going to be pretty sad if nothing hatches! I also opened up the air vent to half way open from the quarter open that it had been all incubation. Not sure if that also affects things.

 

[valley ranch]

I think I would prop the lid open a crack, that should lower both the humidity and the temp.

Richard

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

well, I came home...and found a yellow chick. Lying there, all just fresh hatched, and enjoying himself.... I guess technically I have to remind myself, it IS Thursday morning, and he's only ONE day early. Two others are pipped. So I hope the yellow one isn't going to be my only result! But wow...wife never heard any peeping she said... And that was at 10 pm when I called. And now, after three in the morning...here he is! Now I know, everyone wants pics, but you'll just have to wait. I'm just confused though, I was expecting partridge colored and maybe a black here and there. Not a yellow! Both dads are partridge chanteclers. So to throw a yellow chick would mean one of the daddy's is het white...correct? Hens are a variety of breeds. Half of the hens are chanteclers but I know they aren't all laying yet. There is a single white rock hen. So odds are this is her chick. Time will tell. Hard to get close up to where he's laying at.

But hey, awesome! I got something to hatch! Yay!

 

[shellyga]

congrats on getting an egg to hatch..

I learned alot from my first hatch.. a mere week ago.. so keep us posted on how hatch is progressing.

Shelly

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

This morning we are up to three. But chick number one is having problems. He's weak. And he's all bloody on his butt end. So I'm sure it's related to his coming out so soon. I'll likely be culling him. I breed and raise snakes as a hobby too. So in a way there completes a circle of life. But anyhow, the other two, both blacks are looking great. One just hatched before my eyes when I got up this mornin. The other one, a HUGE chick was already out and drying off fast.

My wife did a big no no this morning. She opened the incubator and took the shells out...DOH! No no no no!

And that darn temp, keeps dropping now rather than rising. So I'm trying to manipulate it accordingly. Gah! It's a wonder anything hatched! But there is a fourth one pipped. The third chick has reddish brown streaks in that black. So will be interesting to see how he fluffs out. And curiousity has me wondering what he'd feather out to be like. Just might let a few of these grow up. I'm guessing these two are out of my black star hens.

 

[muddstopper]

Digital thermometers are effected by changes in humidity. So are electronic thermostats. What you are doing is mixing water and electricity, the sensors attached to the thermometers and the thermostats measure the resistance to electrical flow, adding moisture, changes the resistance and the temp reading that goes with it.

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

wow, thank you! I wondered! Now I know!

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

Ok, time for some pics! First one is the first photo I took, of the single yellow chick. I had to put him down, he was getting weaker and obviously struggling. Otherwise, I still have four healthy babies and one in the process of hatching. And then I'm doubting I'll get any more. Will pull the four fluffy ones out later today into a brooder box.

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

Just a little update. Christmas Eve and my daughter is enjoying her new pets. I ended up helping the last chick in the incubator hatch. It's like the egg was too small, and it's feet look a bit crooked. Might tape them straight on something and see if they don't straighten out. Cause otherwise he seems to be going strong.

 

[mountainwhisper]

so sweet! congrats