INCUABATING EGGS, ALL types

[chkinleg]

hello I'm new , and also new at incubating eggs been doing it for 1- 1/2 months not very good hatch rate at all I'm doing every thing by the book and getting mixed signals on the way one person says humidity 42 -50 other person says 66-80 any help would b great I have 100 quiel eggs n 12 pheasant eggs in my incubator right now its set on 99.5-100 sometimes humidity at 43-59 any help ? THANKS FOR ANY HELP AT ALL

 

[Chicken Chat]

The reason you are getting humidity suggestions that are all over the place is because incubating is an art. Temp must be dead on but humidity is subject to what part of the country you are in, the room humidity, the outside humidity and what time of year you are incubating. What works for someone in New York would not work for me. You will spend years trying to get to that sweet spot. Hatch rates also depend on if you are using shipped eggs or local eggs. What type of incubator you are using will also dictate how much humidity you need as well as the type of egg you are incubating and how many eggs you have in there. I do things differently in my styro incubator than my all plastic one. I weigh my eggs to determine if I need to increase humidity or back it off. If you don't want to do that, then you need to watch the air cell closely for proper loss and make changes based on that. IMO it is a bit better to go a bit less humidity than too much and take the chance of getting your chicks to hatch date only to loose them to drowning.

 

[Chicken Chat]

I forgot to ask if you have calibrated your temp and hygrometer to make sure both are accurate? I have seen some that are really off straight from the factory. That will really affect your hatch rate if they are wrong.

 

[chkinleg]

thank you ,I didn't no that ,,I live in southern Ohio 1hr south of Columbus Ohio weather been crazy it will b hot then cold and rain that explains when it was raining the humidity went so high alarm went off I had to crack open lid little for it to go back down hope I have better luck this time thanks for you help

 

[chkinleg]

I bought a temp/humidty gage walmart and it right on

 

[chkinleg]

next Wednesday will b 18 days should I check to see movement in bowl water or just leave them alone? because on fri or sat ill b putting them on lock down that will b 21 days is this the right thing to do for quiel /phesent

 

[Sara L]

Chickens are 21 days, lockdown on day 18. Coturnix quail can be 16-18 days, usually lockdown on day 15. No clue about the pheasant eggs, sorry.

 

[RosieR]

next Wednesday will b 18 days should I check to see movement in bowl water or just leave them alone? because on fri or sat ill b putting them on lock down that will b 21 days is this the right thing to do for quiel /phesent

I think it’s usually best to the water test if the eggs are running late.
You could try candling before lockdown but quail eggs are difficult to candle. Clear glowing eggs are probably duds and dark eggs are likely viable.
I don’t know much about pheasants.
Good luck with your hatch! And welcome

 

[chkinleg]

ok ill try water test thanks

 

[ronott1]

I bought a temp/humidty gage walmart and it right on

You need a better thermometer and hygrometer. The Thermometer from Walmart is not sensitive enough for incubation. They are ok for weather conditions though.

They can be two degrees off which will hurt the hatch. Your hatch rates issue is going to be temperature off.

Look for a thermometer that is like this:

0.1ºF with an accuracy of ± 0.2ºF.

Or buy one of these:

http://www.brinsea.com/p-394-spot-check-digital-incubator-thermometer.aspx