MARCH Hatch-A-Long 2015: Please Read the First Post to JOIN the H-A-L

[scflock]

Locking down 23 EEs tonight. Candled 1 clear yesterday. The others had good air cells, and I could see veining in a few, but most were too dark to see much of anything.

Just for a recap, my first hatch was 17 of 19, with an incubation humidity of 40-42%. Most hatched on days 22 and 23. As a side note, 80% pullets.

Second hatch I was only 11 for 23, and one didn't survive past 5 days. I dropped my incubation humidity to 35% as an experiment. This hatch was also delayed to days 22-23. Side note on this hatch: 70% roosters

This batch I have gone back to my original 40-42% humidity during the first 18 days. I also increased my incubator temp to 100.0 on the display after buying a spot check to check the inside temps. I'm still showing 98.8- 100.0, but that's pretty close to a 99.5 average, so I'm going with that and will see what happens. This time I have also reversed the tray every time I added water to see if that would help with warm/cool spots. Day 21 starts Thursday night, so I should have results by the weekend. Hoping for that 80% pullets again

 

[ChickyChickens]

Still havent received a few PM's! If you do not send me the info i will have to remove your name from the list and five BYC all the info that i have!

 

[waterbustn]

So we are now on day 22,23 of you ask other people, and no pips. They all still have movement except one. Looks like it quit after lockdown.

I had been having trouble with keeping the humidity level higher until the last 2 days. Never dropped below 50% but now it's staying over 65%. I'll be going home at lunch to check on them again. It's been a stress filled 2-3 days in the house at this point. Don't know if my wife can handle it much longer. lol

 

[mymilliefleur]

My eggs go into lockdown this evening and this is the first time I have incubated in cartons. I'm not sure weather to hatch in cartons or remove and place on side. Any opinions on which would be better?

I leave my eggs in the carton (with the top cut off) until they hatch. That way you won't have to worry about the first hatchlings rolling the eggs around.

 

[DRGLENNON]

I leave my eggs in the carton (with the top cut off) until they hatch. That way you won't have to worry about the first hatchlings rolling the eggs around.

Thanks for responding, that was my original plan but now I'm getting anxious and second guessing everything. LOL!

 

[KittyKat3756]

Quote:I prefer hatching upright: I've gotten better results that way! This hatch (due Thursday) is going to have some of the eggs in cartons and the rest in wire racks that hold them upright.

 

[KittyKat3756]

Quote:Yep, done it and will do it again. When air humidity is 90-99% (quite typical here), then incubator humidity is a steady 40%. I can't do it at the moment though as the fire is driving all the moisture out of the room so I'm using water until the weather improves.

 

[KittyKat3756]

Quote:Really looking forward to your followup! Would be interesting to know what temperatures you had the first two times as that's more likely to affect gender than humidity from what I understand.

 

[KittyKat3756]

Quote:I wrap the bottom of the incubator in a towel as wrapping the top overheats mine. If unsure, try sitting it on a towel to start with, and increasingly wrapping more every night until you get to the right amount of insulation.

 

[scflock]

Quote: What I was reading during this hatch before I adjusted was 97.9-98.9. If that's what gave me 80% pullets, I think I could wait an extra couple of days for them to hatch