I don't know what i am doing wrong with incubating!

[ChickSter99]

phoenix912 has a very good point.

 

[phoenix912]

The temp needs to be at 102 at top of the eggs in a still air( incubator without a fan). The temp needs to be 99-100 in a forced air. If I'm wrong on temp for still air some one else please jump in and correct me.

 

[kvmommy]

If the chicks are stopping at day 18 or 19 I don't Think its makes a difference that you didn't bump up the humidity. I had the same problem in the beginning with my LG...turns out 45% or so was too high, the chicks were bloated and hardly ever made it to hatch day but very close. I also had the eggs upright to incubate then on their sides to hatch, the heat difference is pretty big and I didn't think about adjusting the heat for them. Then I started to weigh my eggs, which helped and after a while I just dry hatched and added water if the aircells were too big. I also installed a fan and then took it out. It actually screwed everything up....maybe cuz I was used to still air and its very different. Then I got a hovabator and its vastly different. Had horrible hatches til I got used to it..then the chickens at my LG when it was out in the sun to dry and disinfect. The point is, it sucks...but you will learn what works for you. It takes tweaking and lots of notes and probably lots of crappy hatches. Good luck!

 

[Thatcher97]

i have a digital thermometer with humidity but i do not think it is all that accurate but no fan installed, Any ideas on a good thermometer?

 

[bigred7469]

i have a digital thermometer with humidity but i do not think it is all that accurate but no fan installed, Any ideas on a good thermometer?

I have two digital Walmart thermometes with humidity in mine. But I also made sure I read the back and see how much the +- was. On some thermometers the +- can be as much as 3 degrees which is way to high for hatching eggs

 

[Thatcher97]

Thank you, i will look for that when i go to purchase one.

 

[kvmommy]

I have seriously bought about 20+ thermometers. The only one that seems perfectly accurate is a meat thermometer probe that I got for about 10 bucks. Plus, I can put it in an air hole position it right at the top of the egg to see the temp, push it further and get the middle temp and the bottom temp. The others all are somewhat inaccurate if you have a still air, you need to know where exactly you are measuring your heat. One of mine sets right at mid point where you think you want it to be about 99%, but when I use the probe, it turns out its actually much cooler than that.

 

[Thatcher97]

I put a meat thermometer in there, and the looks of it if the thermometer is correct than the digital is way low. I lowered the temp to go according to the meat one. Thank you.