Hatching/incubator advice?

[cartersmith]

just like some advice really i have hatched eggs before but not very successfully spec with silkies

out of approx 45 eggs have only managed to hatch approx 9 chicks.

i have recieved my blue orpington eggs and my RIR x barred rock sex link eggs this morning. i am leaving them to rest for24hrs before puting in incubator.

my incubator has a fan in it so wha should my temp be i have had it at 100' previoulsly and what should my humidity be i havd it at 50% before then increased to approx 70% at day 18.
is this right how can i improve my hatch rate.

i know on my previous hatches a lot of the chicks have died in the shell before even pipped.

any advice greatly recieved xxxx

 

[Dirk Chesterfield]

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

You should read the article in the learning pages titled dry incubation. I followed his method, along with chookschicks cheat sheat, pretty much the same method. It was my first time incubating. I used an LG still air days 1-18 and moved them to my hatcher which is just a still air hovabator. I had 24 eggs make it to lock down, out of 29. 5 were silkies, i have 4 silkie chicks, and 4 unopened eggs, which I will candle later to see what is going on. All others hatched and the chicks are vigorous and healthy. In a nut shell the dry method says you dont add water days 1-18 ( keep humidity at like 30%) and then for lock down, bump it way up, to about 70%. Thats it! I had great success with this, as did a lot of other hatchers on BYC. look around this forum, and check out the dry incubation method. It seems to have a magic touch!!
Good luck!!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

my incubator has a fan in it so wha should my temp be i have had it at 100' previoulsly and what should my humidity be i havd it at 50% before then increased to approx 70% at day 18.
is this right how can i improve my hatch rate.

I keep my Day 1-18 humidity at about 50% and prefer the Day 19-hatch humidity in the 60-65% range so 70% is a bit high. At least in my climate. A more arid environment it may be better. Most importantly though is have you calibrated your hygrometer? I have yet to see one that was dead on. My two are only off by 2 and 3 points, but I've seen them off by as much as ten.

Do a board search for "calibrating hygrometers" and you'll find several methods. They're all easy to do.

 

[Martine]

Your humidity depends a lot on the humidity outside the incubator and your weather conditions at the time of setting. If the humidity outside is high, the humidity inside the incubator needs to be lowered. If you live in a dry climate, raise the humidity. My temps and humidity are as follows and I have 90% hatch:
Start dry, with no water or humidity at all. Add water in your tray or whatever you use, on the 5th day, to about 20%.
Temperature needs to be 99 and 3/4 degrees F.
On the seventh day increase again to 30% humidity temp the same as before.
On the 14th day increase humidity to 45% where it stays until day 18 when the chicks are ready to cut through to the air sac within the egg. Increase then to 55% and leave as is until hatch.
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[latebloomer]

i have an incubator with a fan and use 99.5 degrees as my target temperature

on my most recent hatch of shipped bbs orpingtons i had about an 80% hatch rate. i was in the thirties for humidity up until lockdown.

 

[cartersmith]

thanks all
well humidity in my bator with no water is around 30% anyway so think will leave it with no water till lockdown

 

[pete55]

Yep-thats the way to go

Dry incubate until you're ready for lockdown

 

[pete55]

Yep thats the way to improve your results. Dry incubate and aim for 99.5F/37.5C on your temps