Incubator instructions on eggs.

[Miranda-S]

This is the manual my incubator came with. My question is are the setting for temp or humidity to high. I ran a batch of eggs in it following the instructions but egg all seem to hatch late.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Do you have an independent thermometer or are you relying on the incubator's readings? If the chicks are hatching late, it's usually an indicator that the temperature is low.

Did you have any issues with extra moisture left in the eggs and/or sticky chicks, too?

 

[Miranda-S]

I got another temp reader/ humidity. I'm going to test what it says tonight. I had a couple chicks come out and still have yolk to dissolve. But I had some chick that never made it out of the egg and some seemed big for the shell.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I got another temp reader/ humidity. I'm going to test what it says tonight. I had a couple chicks come out and still have yolk to dissolve. But I had some chick that never made it out of the egg and some seemed big for the shell.

Verifying the accuracy of temp and humidity readings is critically important for good hatches. Unabsorbed yolks also suggest temperatures running low, and too-large chicks can be a sign the humidity's too high. I hatch a lot of eggs, and 60% humidity for chicken eggs until lockdown sounds too high. With experience, I find drier conditions produce the best results. This article may be helpful.

Also, check out Pyxis's article on incubation - lots of helpful info there.