I'm so sorry to be asking a question on incubation that's been so thoroughly covered in multiple posts. Which I've read to the point of complete confusion.
So, it's my first time incubating. Someone gave me 9 Beilefelder eggs and I didn't have a broody to stick them under so I ran to TSC and bought the Farm Innovator 4200 Pro with forced air and egg turner. Stored the eggs (correctly) and spent 24 hours adjusting temp/humidity
Bought 2 digital thermometers (Aviagen and IncuTherm). Negelcted to calibrate so I guessed somewhere between the two because they were so close. So first first 18 days it stayed fairly steady at humidity of 25% and temp of 99-101. So no problem.
Candled at days 7, 10, 14, and then last night at 18. I suck at candling - always have - but I knew that, last night, I had 8 eggs that were fully dark with just a decent size air cell. No, I didn't mark air cell levels at each candling, either. Should have - learned that after the fact.
Nonetheless, 8 "good" eggs candled, took out turner, laid on their side on wire grate. Added a sponge and watched/adjusted humidity til 2am (about 3 hours).
Had a sponge first but couldn't get it up about 50ish. So added a bit of hot water with syringe through air vent (yes, I took out plugs). Then it spiked to 75-80% and I couldn't get it down. Quickly took out the eggs, shook the water out of 'bator, then re-added eggs.
Stayed over 70%.
Checked weather and saw our humidity (Tennessee) was 80%. So I didn't add any water. Then I put the sponge back in. Still high. Went to sleep.
Got up this morning and temp was at 97 and humidity at an alarming 25%!
This has been a real booger, quite honestly, and I'm a wreck. To go 18 days feeling fairly good then to this...
I sure could use some advice. Believe me, I have voraciously combed through this forums for over two weeks on a feeding frenzy of information, and the info is so widely varied that I've tried to just go with the median of all numerical advice.
But did I kill my babies overnight?
Sorry it's so long - I tend to over-explain.
Oh, I did read the Hatching 101 page, too.
So, it's my first time incubating. Someone gave me 9 Beilefelder eggs and I didn't have a broody to stick them under so I ran to TSC and bought the Farm Innovator 4200 Pro with forced air and egg turner. Stored the eggs (correctly) and spent 24 hours adjusting temp/humidity
Bought 2 digital thermometers (Aviagen and IncuTherm). Negelcted to calibrate so I guessed somewhere between the two because they were so close. So first first 18 days it stayed fairly steady at humidity of 25% and temp of 99-101. So no problem.
Candled at days 7, 10, 14, and then last night at 18. I suck at candling - always have - but I knew that, last night, I had 8 eggs that were fully dark with just a decent size air cell. No, I didn't mark air cell levels at each candling, either. Should have - learned that after the fact.
Nonetheless, 8 "good" eggs candled, took out turner, laid on their side on wire grate. Added a sponge and watched/adjusted humidity til 2am (about 3 hours).
Had a sponge first but couldn't get it up about 50ish. So added a bit of hot water with syringe through air vent (yes, I took out plugs). Then it spiked to 75-80% and I couldn't get it down. Quickly took out the eggs, shook the water out of 'bator, then re-added eggs.
Stayed over 70%.
Checked weather and saw our humidity (Tennessee) was 80%. So I didn't add any water. Then I put the sponge back in. Still high. Went to sleep.
Got up this morning and temp was at 97 and humidity at an alarming 25%!
This has been a real booger, quite honestly, and I'm a wreck. To go 18 days feeling fairly good then to this...
I sure could use some advice. Believe me, I have voraciously combed through this forums for over two weeks on a feeding frenzy of information, and the info is so widely varied that I've tried to just go with the median of all numerical advice.
But did I kill my babies overnight?
Sorry it's so long - I tend to over-explain.
Oh, I did read the Hatching 101 page, too.
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