Kinda scared....

[MamaDucken]

It is currently 1:30 am where I am at. I will begin incubating duck eggs later on today and in a week, I'll be adding chicken eggs. What are some tips and tricks for a newby?? I want them to hatch haha.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...hing-eggs-important-topic-index-please-review

Above is the page on informative "stickies" -threads of value for incubating.


The most important thing is temperature. If your incubator has a good fan then it's forced air and temp is set at 99.5 F. Otherwise it's a still air where temp is set to 101.5 F at top level of eggs. Temp layers dramatically in still air incubators. That # is given for eggs standing upright. If yoru eggs are laying flat due to manually turning them then go for 100.5-101 F.

Edit: Use any thermometer in the incubator as a reference but for dialing in temp and calibration use a medical thermometer. They are the most accurate device you can purchase for under $10 and most of us have one in bathroom.

Second in importance is turning. I have an auto turner and wont go back to manual. But hey, most of us started there. The more you turn the eggs the better. Marking an X on one side and O on other in pencil provides sanity. Let's you know you turned them all at that time. Turning min of 3 times is doable; when you first awake, after work, just before bed. More is better bt not always possible. The good new here is you don't need to manually tur all the way to day 18. You can stop after day 14 with no ill effects. Trust me. Manually turning gets old. First few hatches it's exciting and your diligent....you'll start to slack over the years and hatches suffer then it's time for an auto turner.

Third is humidity. There's all sorts of discussion on this. In all honesty just put the eggs in dry and candle them in 7-10 days. Judge for yourself if you need more moisture in there. Humidity slows the growth of air cell/loss of moisture from egg. Surface area of water is increased to raise humidity. I only use a salt shaker sitting on incubator bottom with water in it for 30% RH and fill that until day 18 then fill a few bottom trays with water or whatever to get 70%RH for hatch. Rh #'s mean very little if you don't have a hygrometer. Don't worry. You don't really need one. Candle to note air cell progression and compare to diagram. If it's close your doing good. Then fill soem bottom trays day 18 or 19 to up humidity for hatching. With hygroeters any cheap thing will do as they all need to be calibrated. Search at top of page for "salt test".

Good Luck.

 

[MamaDucken]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...hing-eggs-important-topic-index-please-review Above is the page on informative "stickies" -threads of value for incubating. The most important thing is temperature. If your incubator has a good fan then it's forced air and temp is set at 99.5 F. Otherwise it's a still air where temp is set to 101.5 F at top level of eggs. Temp layers dramatically in still air incubators. That # is given for eggs standing upright. If yoru eggs are laying flat due to manually turning them then go for 100.5-101 F. Edit: Use any thermometer in the incubator as a reference but for dialing in temp and calibration use a medical thermometer. They are the most accurate device you can purchase for under $10 and most of us have one in bathroom. Second in importance is turning. I have an auto turner and wont go back to manual. But hey, most of us started there. The more you turn the eggs the better. Marking an X on one side and O on other in pencil provides sanity. Let's you know you turned them all at that time. Turning min of 3 times is doable; when you first awake, after work, just before bed. More is better bt not always possible. The good new here is you don't need to manually tur all the way to day 18. You can stop after day 14 with no ill effects. Trust me. Manually turning gets old. First few hatches it's exciting and your diligent....you'll start to slack over the years and hatches suffer then it's time for an auto turner. Third is humidity. There's all sorts of discussion on this. In all honesty just put the eggs in dry and candle them in 7-10 days. Judge for yourself if you need more moisture in there. Humidity slows the growth of air cell/loss of moisture from egg. Surface area of water is increased to raise humidity. I only use a salt shaker sitting on incubator bottom with water in it for 30% RH and fill that until day 18 then fill a few bottom trays with water or whatever to get 70%RH for hatch. Rh #'s mean very little if you don't have a hygrometer. Don't worry. You don't really need one. Candle to note air cell progression and compare to diagram. If it's close your doing good. Then fill soem bottom trays day 18 or 19 to up humidity for hatching. With hygroeters any cheap thing will do as they all need to be calibrated. Search at top of page for "salt test". Good Luck.

Thank you so much!!