My first bator experience

[loveourbirds]

There are a lot of cheap thermometer/ hydrometer combos out there. As far as humidity levels and higher humidity vs. dry hatching you will just have to see what works for you. Incubating eggs successfully can involve a lot of trial and error while you find what works for you and your incubator.

Here's a dry hatch guide: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-using-the-dry-incubation-method

be careful of electronic hygrometer/ thermometers some of these are not made to handle the incubator's humidity for a long period of time. I have tried a couple purchased from walmart, and both would stick at 96.8 degrees when the temp was 99.5. also just because it is digital does not make it right. look at the back of the package, most have a 1/2 to 1 degree variance.

i had several little giant thermometers laying around, i put a few of them in the incubator and took the average. then i marked the ones that read that average temperature for use. these seem to be working well for me. you can pick them up for about a buck anywhere.

 

[loveourbirds]

something else I should mention here. if your using the glass type thermometer (mercury or alcohol type) make sure that you mount it in a place that you will always look at it at the same angle. to see what im talking about set one on a table, and move around it and look at it, the temperature will read a half of a degree different at some angles.

 

[fogandcopper]

For teaching chicks to eat and drink we grab their head and dip their beak in the water then the food. It takes 1 to 2 tries typically.

 

[loveourbirds]

when we hatch its usually a couple hundred at a time. I have found its easiest to take a bird from a week older hatch and throw in with them... they will follow what the other bird does. I have very little loss due to them not eating with this method.

of course if you don't have a hatch from the week before, dipping the beaks is a great method.

 

[bugglesmommy]

I have digital thermometers made for incubators as well as regular mercury ones. As a general rule NEVER trust one thermometer. I would have several and calibrate them against each other as loveourbirds suggested. I think many people have at least 3 of them.

 

[wixychixy]

I really appreciate all the info, everyone!

Thank you!!!

 

[loveourbirds]

it is such a rewarding experience, and helps get the city out of ya LOL. ive worked on computers, worked on and with electronics, ive moved houses (not the contents the whole thing), ive worked on sawmills, drove trucks, worked in retail stores. ive managed a nursery (plants not babies), and ive worked as a professional gardner. i realized at the nursery that i loved the outdoors. ridicule me if you want but i do believe in God. being somewhat self sufficient, the chickens, the garden and trades makes me feel like im closer to both God and mother nature. the stress in my life has pretty much dwindled away,

as odd as it seems i do look forward to my next day, spending it with my family, friends, customers, and my chickens. now that i am home all the time, sometimes i like the chickens more than i do my wife LOL. today i counted my birds, (chickens, turkeys, quail) i have 522 feathered children.

 

[wixychixy]

it is such a rewarding experience, and helps get the city out of ya LOL. ive worked on computers, worked on and with electronics, ive moved houses (not the contents the whole thing), ive worked on sawmills, drove trucks, worked in retail stores. ive managed a nursery (plants not babies), and ive worked as a professional gardner. i realized at the nursery that i loved the outdoors. ridicule me if you want but i do believe in God. being somewhat self sufficient, the chickens, the garden and trades makes me feel like im closer to both God and mother nature. the stress in my life has pretty much dwindled away,

as odd as it seems i do look forward to my next day, spending it with my family, friends, customers, and my chickens. now that i am home all the time, sometimes i like the chickens more than i do my wife LOL. today i counted my birds, (chickens, turkeys, quail) i have 522 feathered children.

I lived in city limits for a total of 6 months, but had to move back out in the middle of the woods the way I was raised. I saw nothing for me there. Too much noise and distraction. I work at home so I can get away from some of that. Now I can start gardening and raising chickens the way we used to when I was growing up. It totally changes everything.

 

[loveourbirds]

it is a much healthier lifestyle. if you have kids, its good for them too. when they say "im bored" you can say "go weed the garden" LOL

 

[wixychixy]

No doubt about that. I can finally breathe again. My little boy is 3 and I'm so glad he can have this kind of life.