Incubators Anonymous

[Overoberyl]

I tried to run dry incubation and keep things in the 30-35% range until lockdown (did the salt/water calibration, so it should have been accurate). A few of them were a little more "gooey" than others, but being new to this I don't know what is a 'normal' amount of goo versus what is too much.

I haven't had good hatches with anything over 30%, I've tried to keep it under 30, and recently have had my first hatches that I kept at 20% and they've been my most successful to date. There really shouldn't be any goo, the chicks should come out looking wet but any goo is extra and probably an indication that humidity is too high. What about the chicks that pipped internally but not externally, did it look like they had clear nostrils in order to breath or is it possible they had too much goo and drowned? I had a lot of those before I figured out that my humidity was too high...

 

[gladahmae]

Hmmm. Interesting! I don't recall what the nostrils or anything looked like as we unplugged everything in October. I guess I'll give things a try in the spring and make some decisions from there.

And, of course, document a lot more diligently and refer back to you experts.

 

[LilyD]

I wish I could hatch right now. We are just getting into the beginning of winter and it looks like we are going to get lots of snow and cold weather so hatching in winter is out for me. I will have to wait until the end of February or beginning of March to start then I want to hatch out Austrolorp eggs, SG Dorkings and Brahmas.

Can't wait I miss baby chickens .

 

[ozexpat]

gladahmae I am not an expert but I am thinking about your humidity issues.

Do you have a calibrated hygrometer?

Having to add wet paper towels to a hovabator seems unusual.

 

[ki4got]

any problems with the genesis, i'd peg on humidity issues also...

if there's ANY goo on the chicks at hatch, that's indicative of too high humidity. i add NO water to my incubators at all, unless we're running the heat over the winter and it drops below 10% in the incubators, then only a small plastic container with a smaller hole in the lid, to raise it up a couple points. (see pic below). then for hatching, i keep a larger (4 cup rectangular plastic container) with a hardware cloth formed 'lid' just to keep chicks from drowning, full for the last 2-3 days of incubation, which brings me between 55-65%. if i have to open the hatcher, i use a condoment bottle (squeeze bottle like for ketchup or mustard) with water and just squirt a bit on the paper towel i line on the bottom for each hatch. that usually jumps the humidity up to nearly 80% after the lid's been open (less than 30 seconds if i can help it), but drops back down quick once the towel's dried off.

another thing you want to check... make sure all your vent plugs are GONE! those chicks need lots of fresh air for hatching. especially when the humidity's up, stale air makes the it much harder to breathe for new lungs.

adding humidity to my incubator...


what i use in the hatcher. we have pretty hard water, so it's left a lot of lime scale on the bowl, but doesn't seem to affect how the water evaporates in the hatcher. i have 3 dedicated incubators and 1 dedicated for hatching only, so i can rotate eggs in/out as needed, tho i try to limit that to once a week if i can. all Hovabators.

 

[gladahmae]

my hygrometer was calibrated, but maybe I need to get a better quality one. I had to keep the bottom middle channel full just to get a reading over 15%. Sounds like humidity was indeed the issue. Our incubator was well-used, and probably doesn's seal like it should, so I guess we'll look into building one or purchasing a new one over the winter. Raising our humidity 5-10% required adding a LOT of surface area, so either the hygrometer was wrong, or our incubator has a serious leak issue.

The chicks that DID hatch weren't gooey, but some of the ones that didn't hatch, died in the last day or so, pipped and died, etc were. I do remember that.

Anyone had success with a reptirpo 6000 and hand turning? or did you rig something up to use as a turner?

 

[ozexpat]

I would not give up on the styrobator just yet.

Go to walmart or amazon, buy a hygrometer and check the bator. If you get the same readings return the hygrometer and turn the bator into a herb garden. If it turns out to be the hygrometer then commit hygromicide.

 

[ozexpat]

i add NO water to my incubators at all, unless we're running the heat over the winter and it drops below 10% in the incubators, then only a small plastic container with a smaller hole in the lid, to raise it up a couple points. (see pic below).


I have a pill jar that fits down next to my turner. With a 1 inch diameter surface area it will raise humidity by 20 points

 

[ki4got]

Originally Posted by ki4got
i add NO water to my incubators at all, unless we're running the heat over the winter and it drops below 10% in the incubators, then only a small plastic container with a smaller hole in the lid, to raise it up a couple points. (see pic below).



I have a pill jar that fits down next to my turner. With a 1 inch diameter surface area it will raise humidity by 20 points

i'm trying to keep the humidity between 10% and 15%, so that's why i'm only looking for a couple points change... especially when it drops below 10%.

 

[ozexpat]

i'm trying to keep the humidity between 10% and 15%, so that's why i'm only looking for a couple points change... especially when it drops below 10%.

I love the idea. i am running totally dry since day 4. My humidity is in the 20s. At day 12 I was at 8% weight loss average on my eggs with 18 out of 18 alive and wiggling. Day 3 is over. 5 days till lock down.