I wonder about the necessity of over-paranoism concerning temp & humid

[chickenmeadow]

Hey silkieflock, stop picking on the "finnicky hatchers." Worrying is half the fun!

Congrats on your hatch!

 

[seminolewind]

Good story. I can just imagine. You're right, at least about me, lol. I've been trying to perfect my temp and humidity for 3 days now. When I went to hand turn, one egg looked kinda funny, so I candled it, and there's a little silkie growing in there!

I'm tossing my digital thermometer. I have 2 glass ones in there, and they agree. I have a spot check to, well, spot check. I'm not checking humidity anymore, just adding a bit of water to a small dish in there, and on day 18, I'll fill the troughs. It's almost 2am and I'm still watching my bator for changes. I can't stand it.

But, this is why it's so addicting!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
OMG .... I about peed my pants when I got to the part that you dropped the whole carton!

I was laughing so hard ... Geeeeezzzzz, what ELSE could possibly go wrong!

Anyway, thanks for sharing your story!

 

[duckluck]

If somebody needs a Ninja smiley, here ya go...from my forum for my old site.

 

[chickenlady81]

Its funny I tried hatching my own eggs and was very careful with them from day one. I got one hatched and it died the next day and not even 50 % made it to lock down. I had a crappy LG bator, still air and a cheap turner i got from ebay. Im now done hatching and going to buy a Genisis when i have the extra money.

 

[archerobx]

Ninjas, thats good thanks for the laugh.

1st time hatching and i am a paranoid hatcher.

 

[bethandjoeync]

we have yet to set any eggs for the first time in our homemade incubator. but after the experience with our broody, I think being so fussy over the temp and humidity, is a waiste of time. after seeing Momma get off the eggs to eat when it was 40* outside, and staying off for a few minutes. it made me realize that momma doesn't keep the temp exactly precise when hatching either. and how humid can it be under the momma?? I think we are attempting to at least keep the temps stable, but a little fluctation...we'll try not to freak out over. but I say this before we set eggs. it will be totally opposite once we set some in there... I just know it, no matter how much I try to fight it

i sure won't be paying for eggs until I hatch my own with great success, I know that much is sure! I can't imagine the let down of payig for eggs and then it come down to mechanical error.

 

[Jed]

This is my first attempt at hatching eggs in a homemade bator and I have had temp swings from 92 to 104, lost power for 8 hours and temp dropped to 60 the second day after they were set! It is now day 8, candled and 11 of 12 appear to developing as expected. These are local eggs, so no shipping involved. Maybe that is why the temp swings have not affected it or maybe I am just lucky!

 

[quenston]

IMO the temerature is the most important thing when it comes to hatching, the humidity I have found can range from 25% to 50% and not be any effect on the outcome of the hatch, but one thing you have to remember although my opinion differs from others, it all has to do with the bators surroundings and the weather of the area that you are in, becase when I set my eggs at the end of December we had snow and ice here in Oklahoma now that they are hatching we now have 60-70 degree weather, so my recomendation to you is to read what everyones opinion is and pick what feels right to you, the first hatch is always the most hectic but gets easier as hatches go by.

 

[speckledhen]

You were lucky. Some hatch that really shouldn't due to all that happens to them and some that should hatch do not. I wouldn't recommend running your bator haphazardly (at least temp-wise) and expecting a great hatch, though. Humidity has alot of leeway.