My first incubation thread

[OneLostHen]

Bought a hen that has been with a rooster on Jan 3rd.
Waited impatiently for her to adjust to her new home and lay me an egg or two or three to give a shot at incubation.

Well Monday January 12th I found an egg in the box! Im not certain if it was laid on the 12th or the 11th. I found it mid morning and it was cold to the touch. So it didn't feel recently laid...

But I was determined, so I ordered a incubator overnight and put it in by noon on the 13th. Candled it this morning and see a dark spot like it is fertilized.
She laid again today so I promptly placed it in the incubator too.

I have a $30 one from amazon with decent reviews. The lid of the bator reads 100F but I also placed a digital reader that also has humidity. The digital reader says the temp is 97F and the bator cannot go any higher than the 100 its reading.
Hoping the cheap digital one is off by a smidge and its not actually 97 in there. Have seen folks have success with a lower temp incubation tho. So I won't lose all hope.

I'm nervous but excited!!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi!

Welcome to incubating! That sure looks like a good egg!

First hint though, I would stop putting eggs in the incubator as they lay them. Next time, just save up the eggs and put them in all at once. It doesn't matter what day they are laid as when you put them in the incubator, they're all starting out exactly the same and will all hatch within a few hours of each other. You can "stagger" hatch but then you'd wait 5-6 days before putting the next batch in. That way the first ones are dry, fluffy, and removed before the next batch pips.

Now you're going to have a chick hatch, then have to open the incubator up when the other one could be hatching, and risk shrink wrapping. It should be okay though, and if that happens, you'll maybe have to assist it.

The temp is supposed to be 99.5F. You should get a different thermometer/hygrometer to test your incubator as they are rarely correct. That one you have you can test if the temperature is right by putting it in a zip lock bag, then into a bowl/bucket of ice water for several minutes. It should read 32F.

Humidity should be around 40-50% until lockdown, then 60-70%.

 

[OneLostHen]

Such good information, thank you!

I was hoping that since they were placed only a day apart, they'd hatch around the same time. But I will certainly not do that again.

I have a different digital monitor I can place inside the bator for a 3rd opinion on the conditions.
So far the humidity is at least reading as a good range.

 

[Debbie292d]

Such good information, thank you!

I was hoping that since they were placed only a day apart, they'd hatch around the same time.

Very welcome. They could perchance hatch at the same time, but I doubt it. Maybe if you can hold off taking the first chick out (they can go 72 hours without food/water after hatch), then the other one can hatch. Once it's out, then you could take the first one out.

You'll need a brooder with some source of heat that's about 95F for them.

 

[OneLostHen]

Judging how one egg already shows signs of life (the small embryo), I'm betting they won't hatch the same day. I didn't think a mere day would make that much of a difference. Crazy how fast they develop!

I was going to wait till they both looked promising in the egg before getting a brooder set up. I hear heat plates are the way to go nowadays, so I'll be sure to get one if it looks like I'll have chicks.

ETA- just checked the 2nd digi reader and it says 99F at 62% humidity

 

[Debbie292d]

Judging how one egg already shows signs of life (the small embryo), I'm betting they won't hatch the same day. I didn't think a mere day would make that much of a difference. Crazy how fast they develop!

I was going to wait till they both looked promising in the egg before getting a brooder set up. I hear heat plates are the way to go nowadays, so I'll be sure to get one if it looks like I'll have chicks.

ETA- just checked the 2nd digi reader and it says 99F at 62% humidity

Much better! I'd let that humidity go down a bit, more toward 45 or 50%. I presume you need to add distilled water or just water to it daily? There's an art to knowing how much and how often with those. Mine are all auto humidity so I forget how there's a learning curve with the humidity on those kind.

The humidity isn't as picky as the temperature is though.

 

[OneLostHen]

Good to know the humidity isn't as picky.

It's the kind of incubator that has a water bottle hookup outside of the bator.

We maintain in my area at least upper 50 lower 60% humidity anyway. I live in the south tx subtropical region.

I will keep an eye on it though to make sure it doesn't get any higher. Should I try to absorb some water out of it? I can't see much water at the bottom tray inside. Worried to keep opening and closing it too.