Lock down humidity help

[WVduckchick]

Woke up to 7 chicks scooting around and mostly fluffy!

Wow!! You missed a lot of excitement!

Congats!!

How many more to go?

 

[dawn secord]

There are a lot of discussions on humidity here, but what about temperature? I am having my first eggs hatch using an incubator- one chick is out, one is pipping (there is a 3 day spread on the eggs).

The humidity is 71%. The temp has been 99 degrees - but with the chicks hatching it is now 100 degrees.( at least that is what says on my thermometer - not the Janoel readout which is still consistent with what it has been over the past 20 days)

I'm fearful to adjust the temp that I may mess up the temp during the hatch. I am using a Janoel 12 - again - my very first time using an incubator. I've not had to adjust the temp at all. It was preset and it matched what my thermometer said once I purchased a thermometer.

Is 100 degrees okay?

 

[WVduckchick]

There are a lot of discussions on humidity here, but what about temperature? I am having my first eggs hatch using an incubator- one chick is out, one is pipping (there is a 3 day spread on the eggs).

The humidity is 71%. The temp has been 99 degrees - but with the chicks hatching it is now 100 degrees.( at least that is what says on my thermometer - not the Janoel readout which is still consistent with what it has been over the past 20 days)

I'm fearful to adjust the temp that I may mess up the temp during the hatch. I am using a Janoel 12 - again - my very first time using an incubator. I've not had to adjust the temp at all. It was preset and it matched what my thermometer said once I purchased a thermometer.

Is 100 degrees okay?

100 is fine. You don't get into the lethal zone until around 105-106+

Incubators without fans, temps are recommended to run 101-102. With fans - 99-100 is fine.

And yes, once they start hatching, temps and humidity will increase. The chicks are wet and they generate more humidity and temperature. As they dry, it will settle back down. I wouldn't adjust for small variations like that.

Also, keep broody hens in your mind. They roll eggs, they get off the eggs, they do it in all different temperatures, etc. We like "perfect" conditions, but fluctuations are inevitable, and chicks are tougher than we think!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes. funny how we try to make things perfect.

10 more to go, 2 are zipping. 1 of the ones that already hatched pipped way in the wrong position but made it out.

Before this experience I was expecting to be really stressed all the way through.

It hasn't been like that at all though, thankfully.

And I can't believe how big the chicks are... already the same size as my hatchery chicks that are a week old!

The temp and humidity is very different depending on where I place the sensors. But if I got most of my hatchlings on day 21... does that mean my temp was at least pretty normal? And does day 21 end at the same time you set of the following day? None of my eggs were really the same breed, size, or color. Can't believe we made it a whole 21 days with no power failure! And at least 1 of my SFH that I now know is prone to drowning at internal pip, has hatched... so hopefully the rest of that breed will make it since they were my main goal. Great learning experience though! Doing all the reading in the world cannot substitute the hands on real life experience with your own unique conditions.

I will assess everything and over think it some to try and make next time even more perfect!

But so far, I am calling this a major success!

Will post pics when I get them to the brooder. I already removed 3 that were fluffy. The eggs that are left were being rolled to kingdom come, even the semi zipped ones.

It was soooo hard to not check on the zippers every 5-10 minutes last night! And today to... but I figure it's called lock down for a reason and I probably ain't helping much by waking the babies every time I I move the blanket off the top.

Thank y'all for sharing this experience with me!

 

[won023]

is there something bad about my duckings eye it's just pink but the other eye is fine?

 

[dawn secord]

Thank you - you are a wealth of information.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yes. funny how we try to make things perfect.

10 more to go, 2 are zipping. 1 of the ones that already hatched pipped way in the wrong position but made it out.

Before this experience I was expecting to be really stressed all the way through.

It hasn't been like that at all though, thankfully.

And I can't believe how big the chicks are... already the same size as my hatchery chicks that are a week old!

The temp and humidity is very different depending on where I place the sensors. But if I got most of my hatchlings on day 21... does that mean my temp was at least pretty normal? And does day 21 end at the same time you set of the following day? None of my eggs were really the same breed, size, or color. Can't believe we made it a whole 21 days with no power failure! And at least 1 of my SFH that I now know is prone to drowning at internal pip, has hatched... so hopefully the rest of that breed will make it since they were my main goal. Great learning experience though! Doing all the reading in the world cannot substitute the hands on real life experience with your own unique conditions.

I will assess everything and over think it some to try and make next time even more perfect!

But so far, I am calling this a major success!

Will post pics when I get them to the brooder. I already removed 3 that were fluffy. The eggs that are left were being rolled to kingdom come, even the semi zipped ones.

It was soooo hard to not check on the zippers every 5-10 minutes last night! And today to... but I figure it's called lock down for a reason and I probably ain't helping much by waking the babies every time I I move the blanket off the top.

Thank y'all for sharing this experience with me!

Awesome stuff!! Congratulations!

And yes, if they are hatching on day 21, your temps must be about right!
There are varying opinions on "Day 21" as far as exact time. Some go by sunrise-sunset (if you set after sunset, you don't count that day, or something... yada yada) I go by the actual clock time. So if you set at noon on a Friday, day 21 is Noon on the 3rd Friday, till noon on Saturday.

 

[WVduckchick]

is there something bad about my duckings eye it's just pink but the other eye is fine?

Interesting. Can't really tell from the pic. Give it a little time.

My duck hen brooded and hatched 10 this past summer. One hatched blind. Lost it on about the 3rd night, because it got loose from the pack, and got too cold over night. I found it dead in the pen.

 

[dawn secord]

Here is our first hatch ever with an incubator. So very excited. It is a sizzle - father show silkie - mom - bantam frizzled cochin.

Hope it has frizzled feathers....more importantly, hope it is a girl!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Here is our first hatch ever with an incubator. So very excited. It is a sizzle - father show silkie - mom - bantam frizzled cochin.

Hope it has frizzled feathers....more importantly, hope it is a girl!!

please be a girl, please be a girl, PLEASE BE A GIRL!!

By the way, how long has that condensation been there? It has a tendency to form naturally, just after a hatching, but you really don't want it quite that wet otherwise.