Hatching chicken eggs for the first time!

[Rainier]

Thanks. I made one from a styrophome cooler so it will be me turning them. I have 6 to put in and I'm pretty sure all are ready.

How often during the day should I turn them?

I like to put them in at evening time, that way I go to bed and wake up to fluffies... Less temptation to assist when it requires I stay up all night

The only heat source we have is a wood stove, so in the incubator room I have a small space heater and I set it to 73... I used to have those problems also with low temps during the night... They should be ok but expect your hatch to be a day or more late.

I have a styrofoam incubator (little giant not homemade though) that is still air. Like AmericanMom I do not have forced heat and rely on a wood burning stove for heat. I also do not have AC. Keeping the temp regulated was a pain my first time around. I babysat those eggs every hour and when it was over 100 degrees it was every 1/2 hour. In the end a temp spike of 106 on day 15 cooked the four eggs that made it to lock down. That first batch I did a dry hatch and the air cells were perfect! The chicks were developing on target.

This time around I moved the incubator to the bathroom and have been able to keep the temp more stable. Night is an issue so I'm still fine tweaking it. I do a dry hatch so I don't add water at all until lock down. From day 1 to 18 my temp runs 101 and humidity is at 30%. Now that it is colder (more rain too) the humidity is running at 40% and the air cells seem a bit big to me at this point, I'm on day 9. I have 18 eggs in there and when I candled on day 7 to mark the air cells there were 8 eggs with definite movement, four that I'm pretty sure were moving but not willing to say for sure yet. I'll candle again on day 14 to mark air cells again and check for movement.

When I do need to adjust the thermostat I plug one of the vent holes. On the LG 9200 still air the thermostat is to finicky to be moving unless it is a big temp jump.

ETA
I set mine right before I go to bed because it makes it easier to count days.

I also use the egg detail and incubation record from the hatching 101 page in the learning forum to keep track of my hatch.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[Lilorp14]

i have hatched 5-8 batches of quail and just started raising chickens. but i am going to wait until spring to let my hens to incubate. good luck on your future flock!!!!

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

~I READ THE IDEAL TEMP. FOR STILL AIR INCUBATOR IS 102~ ???
I made myself an incubator from styrofoam cooler too. It is still air, ....i read to keep the temp. @ 99-102 and the hum. @ 45%-50% 1-18 days 65% 19-hatch My incubator has been a nice steady 100-102.
What i read said 102 was the ideal temp. for still air incubators. I sure hope this is correct....
When it gets closer to hatch i want the temp to be less...around 99-100...because the babies produce there own body heat at this point...right? I'm on day 11 and so far things look right to me....?
I also read... never plug up the air holes(for very long) the eggs need air...

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

~I READ THE IDEAL TEMP. FOR STILL AIR INCUBATOR IS 102~ ???
I made myself an incubator from styrofoam cooler too. It is still air, ....i read to keep the temp. @ 99-102 and the hum. @ 45%-50% 1-18 days 65% 19-hatch My incubator has been a nice steady 100-102.
What i read said 102 was the ideal temp. for still air incubators. I sure hope this is correct....
When it gets closer to hatch i want the temp to be less...around 99-100...because the babies produce there own body heat at this point...right? I'm on day 11 and so far things look right to me....?
I also read... never plug up the air holes(for very long) the eggs need air...

102 IS TO HOT I THINK...
I just had to candle the eggs...i can see movement in only two eggs, out of ten... and there looks to be 'blood rings' around 3 ? if that's what i'm seeing... it's a dark rust color ring that goes all the way around the eggs ...but it looks like a dark mass inside egg ??? i'm crossing my fingers.
. so i think 102 has been too hot even in a still air. or could it be water rings...i misted the walls 2 times when the humidity was low and then thought better of that...could that hurt eggs, spraying a little water? i'm going to wait again tonight to candle again...but i think i killed them letting it reach 102 ... i just read that was a ideal temp.

Help!

 

[darkbluespace]

Well, 102 in still air shouldn't kill your eggs but if your thermometer is off by a couple degrees then it could get pretty hot! Do have just one thermometer and has it been calibrated? Eggs can quit for a number of reasons that may have nothing to do with the temp. If you are hatching chicken eggs I wouldn't spray them with water. I don't spray duck eggs either but some folks swear by it.

I have wood heat also and no ac... I made my own incubator with a styrofoam cooler and a thermostat and it keeps temp beautifully no matter what the heat in the house is and it varies greatly! I had wished I could buy an incubator but now I am glad I didn't.

 

[AmericanMom]

Well, 102 in still air shouldn't kill your eggs but if your thermometer is off by a couple degrees then it could get pretty hot! Do have just one thermometer and has it been calibrated? Eggs can quit for a number of reasons that may have nothing to do with the temp. If you are hatching chicken eggs I wouldn't spray them with water. I don't spray duck eggs either but some folks swear by it.

I have wood heat also and no ac... I made my own incubator with a styrofoam cooler and a thermostat and it keeps temp beautifully no matter what the heat in the house is and it varies greatly! I had wished I could buy an incubator but now I am glad I didn't.

X2 on the first part and wishing on the second part...