Incubating Chicken Eggs

[lmadeline146]

I decided to get the Nurture Right 360 incubator since it was highly recommended. We are going to start incubating eggs soon, but I don’t know lots of important things required for the chicks to hatch.
•What humidity + temperature should I set the incubator to?
•What environment should I put the incubator in?
•When should I candle the eggs?

If anybody has responses, please reply to this post. Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

There's an article section up top that has many articles on how to incubate,

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I decided to get the Nurture Right 360 incubator since it was highly recommended. We are going to start incubating eggs soon, but I don’t know lots of important things required for the chicks to hatch.
•What humidity + temperature should I set the incubator to?
•What environment should I put the incubator in?
•When should I candle the eggs?

If anybody has responses, please reply to this post. Thanks!

1. Temperature should always be 99.5-deg-F or 37.5-deg-C.
2. Opinions vary on humidity. For the first 18 days, most people agree that between 30-45% is good, but no higher than 50% for extended time. Lower humidity is fine; that's called a "dry hatch." For Days 19-20-21 and through hatching (the "Lockdown" period), you should boost the humidity to 70%.
3. Environment should be in a quiet place in your home where temperature and humidity stay fairly constant and comfortable. Keep the incubator out of direct sunlight.
4. Don't candle them before Day 4. There's not much to see, and they are extremely fragile during the first few days. Most people candle around Day 5-7 to eliminate the quitters and "clears" (unfertlized), again between Days 10-14, and finally on Day 17 or 18.
5. A detail you didn't ask, but important: If your incubator has an egg turner, be sure it automatically stops turning at Day 19, or remove it. Do not turn the eggs after Day 18 - unless an egg has "pipped" on the bottom side, then you should turn it so the pip faces upwards.

 

[lmadeline146]

1. Temperature should always be 99.5-deg-F or 37.5-deg-C.
2. Opinions vary on humidity. For the first 18 days, most people agree that between 30-45% is good, but no higher than 50% for extended time. Lower humidity is fine; that's called a "dry hatch." For Days 19-20-21 and through hatching (the "Lockdown" period), you should boost the humidity to 70%.
3. Environment should be in a quiet place in your home where temperature and humidity stay fairly constant and comfortable. Keep the incubator out of direct sunlight.
4. Don't candle them before Day 4. There's not much to see, and they are extremely fragile during the first few days. Most people candle around Day 5-7 to eliminate the quitters and "clears" (unfertlized), again between Days 10-14, and finally on Day 17 or 18.
5. A detail you didn't ask, but important: If your incubator has an egg turner, be sure it automatically stops turning at Day 19, or remove it. Do not turn the eggs after Day 18 - unless an egg has "pipped" on the bottom side, then you should turn it so the pip faces upwards.

Thank you so much.

 

[LaylaJane]

1. Temperature should always be 99.5-deg-F or 37.5-deg-C.
2. Opinions vary on humidity. For the first 18 days, most people agree that between 30-45% is good, but no higher than 50% for extended time. Lower humidity is fine; that's called a "dry hatch." For Days 19-20-21 and through hatching (the "Lockdown" period), you should boost the humidity to 70%.
3. Environment should be in a quiet place in your home where temperature and humidity stay fairly constant and comfortable. Keep the incubator out of direct sunlight.
4. Don't candle them before Day 4. There's not much to see, and they are extremely fragile during the first few days. Most people candle around Day 5-7 to eliminate the quitters and "clears" (unfertlized), again between Days 10-14, and finally on Day 17 or 18.
5. A detail you didn't ask, but important: If your incubator has an egg turner, be sure it automatically stops turning at Day 19, or remove it. Do not turn the eggs after Day 18 - unless an egg has "pipped" on the bottom side, then you should turn it so the pip faces upwards.

Quick question... at day 10, if the humidity has been up to 45-50 until now, would it be harmful to let it drop till lockdown?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Quick question... at day 10, if the humidity has been up to 45-50 until now, would it be harmful to let it drop till lockdown?

I don't have a definitive answer. However, I've been reading up this morning, from https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf
These guidelines say that the level of humidity during incubation, or WHEN the water is lost from the egg, isn't as critical as the cumulative water loss - So that by the end of incubation, there is a sufficiently sized air cell so that pulmonary respiration can start.

A chart on page 34 shows that % water loss by Day 10 should be about 5.5-6%, from the day the eggs were started. I'm not positive whether that "water loss" percentage is equivalent to "weight loss" ..... but it should be similar. I usually weigh my eggs each time I candle them, looking for a weight loss of 11-12% by Day 18. (Target weight loss is 13% by Day 21 and hatch.) And I mark the position and size of the air cells, so I can ensure they are growing larger.
Aaaaaanyway.....

So NO, I don't think it would be harmful to let the humidity drop slightly (within reason, maybe down to 30-40% would likely be safe). I'd do it slowly so you don't shock the embryos. It's best to let the humidity fall naturally, using the air vents to control it.

I've noticed that humidity in the incubator has an effect on the temperature. The lower the humidity, the more the temperature will spike. So WATCH that while you're lowering the humidity. Consistent temperature is much more important than humidity.

Just remember to boost the humidity back up to 70-80% at lockdown and until the hatch is complete.

 

[Rm chickens]

I have 3 of the nuture right 360s and really like them. The good thing about them is if you keep port A full of water and vent half open the first 18 days it should keep the humidity in a good range. Then just fill both ports and open vent fully the last 3 youll be fine

 

[Tennessee Tranquility]

I am new to incubating, but have found with the three sets completed so far that I worried way too much over them. Watching the GoVee graphing the heat/humidity the NR360 had quite a lot of variation, but all turned out well. I hope you enjoy the process and have time on hatch day to pull up a chair and watch. It's amazing. But don't try to help them ... they have to work hard and sometimes it takes them a long time from the first pip to busting out, but you know what they say: Hard work makes you stronger!

 

[ChasityHutchins]

How long do you keep the incubator running after day 21 once most chicks hatched? I have 15 unhatched eggs that were fertile when candled. I'm on day 24 and wonder if I should give up on them hatching.

 

[Rm chickens]

If none of the eggs left have pipped then i would pull them out and candle them. At least you will know if any are living. Ive never had any hatch after day 23