I have an older bator made out of metal and it is round. It has a heat coil around top of the lid and no fan.
My first batch I had a time with temp and hummidity. I actually hatched at between 35 and 47 % humidity.
I made some adjustments this time and I put 2 shallow trays and put 2 sponges in each for the last 3 days. The humidity was only at 47% so I wanted to raise it more so I added 1 mors sponge. I have 62% now and temp is between 99.1 and 101.4. It never stays the same at all times. I put a bit of screen under the water trays and wrapped it around the sponges and trays so the chicks can't get in them and drown.
There is only room for 12 eggs and the hydrometer/thermometer. I could probably get another 6 eggs if I wanted to make them cramped.
It is very hard not to open my bator because of all the trouble I have with temp and humidity.
I had 14 eggs last time and got 5 chicks, 1 died.
This time so far I have only 1 and it is the one I dropped when I wa making the transisiton to get ready for the 3 day wait. That one is doing great and is the only one to hatch so far. Today is day 21. I'll wait another couple of days before I open the bator. Oh, I started out with 12 eggs, 1 was rotten so I'm waiting for another 10 to hatch.
I was informed that the humidity should be around 60 and 70% for a successful hatch on the last 3 days. Then I hear different from different people.
The way I see it. The hen wouldn't sit 24/7 on the eggs anyway so a little variations can't hurt anyhting. She has to eat and poop, right?
My first batch I had a time with temp and hummidity. I actually hatched at between 35 and 47 % humidity.
I made some adjustments this time and I put 2 shallow trays and put 2 sponges in each for the last 3 days. The humidity was only at 47% so I wanted to raise it more so I added 1 mors sponge. I have 62% now and temp is between 99.1 and 101.4. It never stays the same at all times. I put a bit of screen under the water trays and wrapped it around the sponges and trays so the chicks can't get in them and drown.
There is only room for 12 eggs and the hydrometer/thermometer. I could probably get another 6 eggs if I wanted to make them cramped.
It is very hard not to open my bator because of all the trouble I have with temp and humidity.
I had 14 eggs last time and got 5 chicks, 1 died.
This time so far I have only 1 and it is the one I dropped when I wa making the transisiton to get ready for the 3 day wait. That one is doing great and is the only one to hatch so far. Today is day 21. I'll wait another couple of days before I open the bator. Oh, I started out with 12 eggs, 1 was rotten so I'm waiting for another 10 to hatch.
I was informed that the humidity should be around 60 and 70% for a successful hatch on the last 3 days. Then I hear different from different people.
The way I see it. The hen wouldn't sit 24/7 on the eggs anyway so a little variations can't hurt anyhting. She has to eat and poop, right?
