Help newbie hatcher!!!

[regina1994]

I'm borrowing a incubator since my broody hens decided to leave their nests a day 15.. 2 times!!!!Starting from scratch with incubator...confused... you Lockdown at day 18 right .?.?.? and do you change the temp from recommended 99.5 to something different during last few days??? and do you want more or less humidity??? Getting confused with soooo much info!! Have a still air LG incubator with automatic turner...have to get but a new thermometer do I also need a humidity checker...what's that called???

 

[babsbag]

A humidity checker is called a hygrometer, and I would get one. Walmart has them. Then look for directions on BYC or Google how to calibrate the hygrometer. It takes 12-24 hours, but is easy to do and you need to do it. I can almost guarantee you that the hygrometer will be wrong.

In a still air incubator temp should run 101.5 the whole 21 days. Humidity is what changes. There are a lot of opinions and suggestions on this. Some do what they call a dry incubation and run it low, 30-35, the first 18 days and then raise it to about 60-65 during lockdown. Others will run it higher during the first 18, but I think everyone will agree about it being around 60-65 during lockdown. I have only done one hatch so I am no expert, but it did work out ok for me.

Also, don't forget to turn the eggs. Most say at least 3 x a day, I could only do 2 on weekdays, and we got a hatch on 9 out of 10 fertile eggs.

Here is a link that I found helpful when I was starting.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=279923&p=1

Good luck, and have fun.