incubator settings?

[davekrista]

OK so i'm using a home made bator and i am getting ready to test it out. Its been a while since i did my first hatch. Please refresh my memory? Temp should be 99 and humidity should be 50% - 55%? Is this correct? They are pekin eggs....

 

[FenDruadin]

Temp should be 99.5 or 100: I usually try to get it right around 100. Half a degree won't matter too much, and my thermometer doesn't measure half degrees, so that's what works for me.

Humidity is a crap shoot until you've done it a few times, or unless you know someone in your area who has good rates with the same incubator you're using... I get my best hatch rates with super low humidity (teens and twenties) right up until lockdown. I live in a humid area at sea level using a foam circulated air incubator. If your conditions are different than mine, you'll need different humidity settings for best results.

The best thing you can do is just choose a humidity that makes sense to you, and keep records. Especially, pay attention to how the air cell grows. Ideally, it should be about 1/3 the volume of the egg at lockdown. 1/4 is acceptable. Anything less, and your humidity was too high, anything more and it was too low. You may still get a decent hatch, but your best rates will be when the humidity is right. Keep records of your air cell growth (I draw directly on the shell at each candling, a circle that outlines the air cell), and with each subsequent hatch, you'll get closer and closer to your ideal humidity.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[duckyfromoz]

One thing I have read a long time ago was that you get the temp and humidity right for a while before putting the eggs in- but then things can take a long time to get right again once the eggs are in there. I have seen a few posts on here recently along those lines as well- especially with home made incubators. When I set up my incubator for the first time- before my first testing with ducks egg- I put some store bought chicken eggs in for a test of if this would happen with the still air incubator I had bought. I did notice that the temp did drop for a time and that I did have to adjusted the thermostat. After two days when I was sure things were more stable- I swapped over the eggs.

I agree with what iamcuriositycat said about humidity- watching the size the air cell is a better way to gauge what humidity levels are needed.

 

[davekrista]

I am able to get the temp consistant at 100 but the humidity i am having trouble keeping it steady or high enough..... any tips? I have 2 water bottles that i put on the bottom 1/4 filled with warm water and i can't get the humidity above 37....... and it keeps bouncing all over the place, not steady

ETA- i have 2 chicken eggs in there... no chance they are fertilized because i don't have a rooster.

 

[FenDruadin]

Humidity really doesn't have to be steady--it's more a matter of averages. Water evaporates gradually out of the eggs as they incubate, and humidity just regulates how much. Too much, and the baby can't grow adequately. Too little and the baby drowns when it tries to pip out through the air cell. Because it's a gradual process, it doesn't matter if the humidity is always exactly right, as long as it averages out about right.

Frankly, I just wouldn't stress about humidity too much for your first batch. Worry about keeping good records, and next time make adjustments that make sense based on your first experience. Good luck!

 

[davekrista]

I have a 2 degree difference from the time the bulb shuts off and the time it kicks back on... is this ok or too much of a spread?

 

[duckyfromoz]

Again- like humidity- its a matter of averages depending on the length of time between when the bulb turns on and off. Eggs can hold heat well- it can take hours for a drop in temperature to effect the core of the egg. If the bulb is turning on and off with say only 5 minute intervals- I wouldnt worry too much. With a home made incubator- it may be difficult to adjust the mechanism you have to improve the swings.

 

[Jen-Brd]

Is there anyone in the Houston TX area with successful hatch rates who can tell me the temp. and humidity settings they use? So far I only have about a 50% hatch rare. Same x3 hatches. I had the incubator at 99. Not sure what the humidity was at, I plan to start keeping records