Hatching for January and February

[chickkrzi]

Ok done day 7 candling and all 11 eggs look good. Looking good for 2-6 hatch date. Was worried cause I gathered my eggs over a 14 day time frame. The eggs weigh in on average of 72 grams. Weigh them again and it looks like they lost about 3 grams on average over the last 7 days. Does that sound about right? Air sacks looking a littel large to me. This is the first time for me with adjusting humidity to egg weight.

 

[BrickWall Honey]

Ok done day 7 candling and all 11 eggs look good. Looking good for 2-6 hatch date. Was worried cause I gathered my eggs over a 14 day time frame. The eggs weigh in on average of 72 grams. Weigh them again and it looks like they lost about 3 grams on average over the last 7 days. Does that sound about right? Air sacks looking a littel large to me. This is the first time for me with adjusting humidity to egg weight.

That's about 5% loss over 7 days, a bit too much for me but not extreme. Should lose about 12%-14% over the incubation period. You even noticed the air cells look large at this point. I'd up the humidity a bit like 5-10% over whatever your current level is. What you doing is excellent, weight and aircell development observation. You should have a good hatch if all other things are good.

 

[chickkrzi]

...

That's about 5% loss over 7 days, a bit too much for me but not extreme. Should lose about 12%-14% over the incubation period.  You even noticed the air cells look large at this point. I'd up the humidity a bit like 5-10% over whatever your current level is.  What you doing is excellent, weight and aircell development observation. You should have a good hatch if all other things are good.
was thinking it was 4%, but maybe you're right. Humidity was running about mid to lower 40%. Going to bump it up to 45-50%. So do you only weigh them every 7 days or every time you candle them (day 7-10-14-18)?

 

[chickkrzi]

...

That's about 5% loss over 7 days, a bit too much for me but not extreme. Should lose about 12%-14% over the incubation period.  You even noticed the air cells look large at this point. I'd up the humidity a bit like 5-10% over whatever your current level is.  What you doing is excellent, weight and aircell development observation. You should have a good hatch if all other things are good.
was thinking it was 4%, but maybe you're right. Humidity was running about mid to lower 40%. Going to bump it up to 45-50%. So do you only weigh them every 7 days or every time you candle them (day 7-10-14-18)?

was thinking it was 4%, but maybe you're right. Humidity was running about mid to lower 40%. Going to bump it up to 45-50%. So do you only weigh them every 7 days or every time you candle them (day 7-10-14-18)?

 

[BrickWall Honey]

Quote:
Now this is just me.

I weigh as I set them in the incubator, each egg numbered. I then add the total and record it on my hatching sheet as reference. To get the weight deduction I'm looking for, I set my current incubator to 45% until lockdown and then up to 65% if the weight and air cell is right at lockdown. Each incubator is different as is the environment/room that the incubator is in.
I only candle at day 7 and 14 and I weight each egg again at that time, same as when I put them in. Each time I am also looking at the air cell to see that it is increasing and mark the air cell. At day 18 Lockdown I only look at the air-cell to determine where I set/adjust my humidity, I don't weight them again.
By looking at your weight loss at 7 and 14, and then the air-cells at 18 you'll know to a degree of certainty that you've done everything right and probability of a good hatch is in your favor.

Many do not weight, just candle. That works out for them but I'd rather keep the odds in my favor my weighing/candleing and keeping my contact with the eggs to a minimum. Everyone has their own system, and I'd rather strive for 100% hatch so I do it this way.

Your on track to do it right in my opinion. Good luck.

 

[chickkrzi]

Now this is just me.

I weigh as I set them in the incubator, each egg numbered. I then add the total and record it on my hatching sheet as reference. To get the weight deduction I'm looking for, I set my current incubator to 45% until lockdown and then up to 65% if the weight and air cell is right at lockdown. Each incubator is different as is the environment/room that the incubator is in.
I only candle at day 7 and 14 and I weight each egg again at that time, same as when I put them in. Each time I am also looking at the air cell to see that it is increasing and mark the air cell.  At day 18 Lockdown I only look at the air-cell to determine where I set/adjust my humidity,  I don't weight them again.
By looking at your weight loss at 7 and 14, and then the air-cells at 18 you'll know to a degree of certainty that you've done everything right and probability of a good hatch is in your favor.

Many do not weight, just candle. That works out for them but I'd rather keep the odds in my favor my weighing/candleing and keeping my contact with the eggs to a minimum.  Everyone has their own system, and I'd rather strive for 100% hatch so I do it this way.

Your on track to do it right in my opinion.  Good luck.

Thanks for your help. I'm still new to incubating my own stock. Only done 2 other times. 70% with first and 50% hatch rate. I'm kind of a numbers Guy myself. Not really into "well that looks right " lol. I did number and log each eggs weight into my spread sheet. So I do have that working in my favor. Just not real sure on what size the air sack should be at what stage. Just going by candling pic I see on internet. I did push humidity up to upper 40s when I got home. And thanks for all your help.

 

[BrickWall Honey]

"Just not real sure on what size the air sack should be at what stage. Just going by candling pic I see on internet. I did push humidity up to upper 40s when I got home."


Here is a good picture showing approx. air cell size.(not mine) If your along these lines your fine. Are your current eggs from your hens?

 

[chickkrzi]

"Just not real sure on what size the air sack should be at what stage. Just going by candling pic I see on internet. I did push humidity up to upper 40s when I got home." Here is a good picture showing approx. air cell size.(not mine) If your along these lines your fine. Are your current eggs from your hens?

 

[chickkrzi]

"Just not real sure on what size the air sack should be at what stage. Just going by candling pic I see on internet. I did push humidity up to upper 40s when I got home." Here is a good picture showing approx. air cell size.(not mine) If your along these lines your fine. Are your current eggs from your hens?

Thanks for the pic, should help out a lot. And yes the eggs are from one of my best Rhode Island Red hens (thus the 14 days holding before incubating the 11 eggs). She's laying 70+ grams eggs at 4-5 weekly. Im trying to improve egg size and quantity in my flock. I Currently have some golden sexlinks from Ideal that im not very happy with. Going to faze them out. also have 4 Welsh Harlequin duck eggs in as well

 

[HardizzlesFlock]

I am also expecting chicks on the 6th. I have RIRs EEs Choco/Black Orps and BCMS!