HERE WE GO AGAIN Anyone SETTING Aug 30th - Sept 8th join me!!

[Brookhavens]

I am using an LG still air also...was supposed to set last week but the eggs never arrived, so they sent me a whole new bunch! Will be setting them today but am feeling really nervous and can't seem to get the humidity quite right. The incubator has been set up for over a week and of course NOW, moments before I want to put the eggs in, I'm fiddling with humidity, LOL. Can't seem to get it to stay above 40% even with water tray filled and a sponge.

I've let the eggs sit for about 18hrs, but I read above that I should not turn them for the first couple of days after they go in? I have an automatic turner so I'll just unplug it, I just have heard mixed opinions, is this the general consensus on shipped eggs? What do you guys think?

Where do you live? Is it humid or dry there? I actually keep my humidity in the 30's and only add water when it gets to about 25% (and then only enough to get it back up into the 30's.) During lock down I will do 55-60% at the highest. On my first hatch I went by the book with humidity 45-50% during incubation and then upped it to the high 60's during lock down and when my chicks hatched they were soaking wet. As they hatched the humidity went even higher and I had condensation on the glass and 4 of the eggs did not hatch. I am pretty sure they drowned.

When you add the eggs the temp and humidity will probably drop. DO NOT adjust anything. The eggs are cooler than the incubator and are "pulling" the heat inside of them to get to where the temp is set in the incubator. After an hour or so check to see what the temp is. If you have to adjust then do so in very small increments until you get to where you want it to be.

Once you set the eggs in the bator don't turn them for 5 days. This helps to settle the air cells even more and gives the embryo a chance to grow.

 

[Brookhavens]

Thanks Lisa Pedro, I had thought that being in FL I should be less worried about lower humidity and more concerned with it being too high...I'm at about 38% right now so I may just go with it, though I hope I don't regret that later! I do have a feeding tube taped to the inside so I can fill water without having to open the bator. I figured out that adding 10cc's increases the humidity by about 2%, but that was with one vent open, so I closed both and may just set the eggs and keep an eye on them.

Do not close all the vents. The eggs need fresh air circulated in the bator. During lockdown you want all vents open.

 

[Lisa Pedro]

Thanks Lisa Pedro, I had thought that being in FL I should be less worried about lower humidity and more concerned with it being too high...I'm at about 38% right now so I may just go with it, though I hope I don't regret that later! I do have a feeding tube taped to the inside so I can fill water without having to open the bator. I figured out that adding 10cc's increases the humidity by about 2%, but that was with one vent open, so I closed both and may just set the eggs and keep an eye on them.

You are welcome. I have done so much reading on this, that some of it is confusing because different people say different things. But this is what I am doing. The dry hatch and add water on day 18. I have both red plugs out for fresh air and will put them back in probably on day 18 also. I have one digital thermometer/hygrometer and 2 glass ones. I blew the inside out of a eating egg and used it for height to get a temp reading at the top of the eggs when they will be in the carton. Down on the floor or wire , the temp is lower. I do not want any higher than 102 at the top of the eggs. The only thing I am not set on is not moving them for the first 5-7 days. I am worried about them sticking to the shell inside and dying. Ok, this is my plan since this is my first time. Should I do anything differently?

 

[Lisa Pedro]

Where do you live? Is it humid or dry there? I actually keep my humidity in the 30's and only add water when it gets to about 25% (and then only enough to get it back up into the 30's.) During lock down I will do 55-60% at the highest. On my first hatch I went by the book with humidity 45-50% during incubation and then upped it to the high 60's during lock down and when my chicks hatched they were soaking wet. As they hatched the humidity went even higher and I had condensation on the glass and 4 of the eggs did not hatch. I am pretty sure they drowned.

When you add the eggs the temp and humidity will probably drop. DO NOT adjust anything. The eggs are cooler than the incubator and are "pulling" the heat inside of them to get to where the temp is set in the incubator. After an hour or so check to see what the temp is. If you have to adjust then do so in very small increments until you get to where you want it to be.

Once you set the eggs in the bator don't turn them for 5 days. This helps to settle the air cells even more and gives the embryo a chance to grow.

I am in central FL, just barely east of Orlando. I just looked at the thermometer in the incubator (which has been running for a couple days to get the temp right) and the temp is 100 on the bottom and the humidity is 30. We had alot of rain last night. But it is sunny out right now.

 

[Brookhavens]

You are welcome. I have done so much reading on this, that some of it is confusing because different people say different things. But this is what I am doing. The dry hatch and add water on day 18. I have both red plugs out for fresh air and will put them back in probably on day 18 also. I have one digital thermometer/hygrometer and 2 glass ones. I blew the inside out of a eating egg and used it for height to get a temp reading at the top of the eggs when they will be in the carton. Down on the floor or wire , the temp is lower. I do not want any higher than 102 at the top of the eggs. The only thing I am not set on is not moving them for the first 5-7 days. I am worried about them sticking to the shell inside and dying. Ok, this is my plan since this is my first time. Should I do anything differently?

The last hatch I did was with shipped eggs. When I candled them before setting I saw a lot of wonky air cells. I did let them sit for 5 days and then started turning. When I candled on day 7 I had 4 bloodrings, 2 questionables and 9 with good veining and movement. The first few days the embryo is just cells multiplying and then on day 3-5 the veining starts. I went by these pictures: Candeling site and instead of the 7 days of no turning,that a lot of people recommend, I decided on 5 because that's when it looks like the veins start to attach to the inside of the egg.

 

[Overoberyl]

Ok, I will open them back up, it only took the humidity about 30 min to climb to 42% after I closed the second one, hehe. Temp is stable at 99.5 on my two regular thermometers, and 99 on my hygrometer, so I think in terms of temp I am looking good...I will not touch a thing after putting the eggs in, I know it'l take awhile to adjust and I'm too afraid of cooking them!

So grateful for this thread, it really helps to be able to ask questions, and it's amazing how many little details can cause uncertainty!

 

[picanins]

The last hatch I did was with shipped eggs. When I candled them before setting I saw a lot of wonky air cells. I did let them sit for 5 days and then started turning. When I candled on day 7 I had 4 bloodrings, 2 questionables and 9 with good veining and movement. The first few days the embryo is just cells multiplying and then on day 3-5 the veining starts. I went by these pictures: Candeling site and instead of the 7 days of no turning,that a lot of people recommend, I decided on 5 because that's when it looks like the veins start to attach to the inside of the egg.

What was your hatch rate with the shipped eggs Brookhavens? This is the first time I have EVER candled eggs before I put them in the incubator, but from what I could tell, I had 35 perfect eggs - No cracks and all aircells were in place (at the fat end after sitting for 12 hours, pointy nose down), other than a couple pourous eggs (which I've heard don't do nearly as well, but can still hatch) I think all the eggs were perfect.

Lisa Pedro : My plan is just like yours - after several botched hatchings (with our own "Mutt" eggs), we eventually figured out that, for us, dry incubation gave us significantly higher hatch rates in the Little Giant. I think living closer to the coast means higher humidity. We're at an average of 70% (in the natural air). We only add a very little water in the last couple days when we move our eggs into another "hatching" incubator (another Little Giant

)

Having never paid for eggs, I am now really struggling with doubting ever decision I make, checking the temps every hour and wanting to candle every day

 

[Lisa Pedro]

The last hatch I did was with shipped eggs. When I candled them before setting I saw a lot of wonky air cells. I did let them sit for 5 days and then started turning. When I candled on day 7 I had 4 bloodrings, 2 questionables and 9 with good veining and movement. The first few days the embryo is just cells multiplying and then on day 3-5 the veining starts. I went by these pictures: Candeling site and instead of the 7 days of no turning,that a lot of people recommend, I decided on 5 because that's when it looks like the veins start to attach to the inside of the egg.

Thank you for the pictures. That really helps me not to worry about not turning them for 5 days. One question I did have is should you candle large side up or small side up like the pictures. Seems like it would be harder to see the aircell. I understand that those were her own eggs and not shipped so they probably were not as concerned about the aircell. Which is best?

 

[SunnySkies]

I have two LG. one is a still air that I use for a hatcher when I have a staggered hatch and the other has the turner and a fan.

Have you all seen the LG tricks thread? Very useful information?

Mine is running with a low RH and then I have to see about keeping it up, but I had a disasterous hatch last time with good RH and temps with all chicks but one dying around day 17-18, the one survivor hatching at day 19. My successful hatch had an RH of 50% the last 3 days and I ignored the thing the rest of the time.

 

[Lisa Pedro]

I have two LG. one is a still air that I use for a hatcher when I have a staggered hatch and the other has the turner and a fan.
Have you all seen the LG tricks thread? Very useful information?
Mine is running with a low RH and then I have to see about keeping it up, but I had a disasterous hatch last time with good RH and temps with all chicks but one dying around day 17-18, the one survivor hatching at day 19. My successful hatch had an RH of 50% the last 3 days and I ignored the thing the rest of the time.

I have read through that entire thread. Are you incubating more right now?