Need advice on lockdown (gettin close to that time)

[TGarcia]

As I get closer and closer to day 18 aka (lock-down), I am getting more nervous. I need a little advice. Is it on the morning of day 18 that I need to raise the humidity levels? And does the temp. also need to go be raised? And just how high should I raise the humidity without going to high. I'm hatching silkie eggs...I have read so many different things, and even though they are pretty close, I know that even a LITTLE fluctuation in either can cause a bad hatch. So I'm hoping someone who has hatched silkie eggs or know something I don't can help me out here.

I'm thinking the humidity needs to go up on day 18 and to around 65 to 75. CORRECT me if I'm wrong. And that the temp needs to be around 101-102.....I'm using a homemade incubator, still air, and my temps have been steady at those temps since day 1 unless I open to turn the eggs and it doesn't drop to much then. I think I have read so much stuff that I have confused myself!! LOL

I just wanna make sure I don't mess up, or have questions at the last minute that could jeopardize it all. So far all of the eggs are doing good, and I'm hoping for a successful hatch. So please help a newbie!!!!

 

[Kittymomma]

That's what I did--humidity between 65-72 and temp. at 101 with a still air lg. I also put the eggs in a cut down carton big end up (middle ridges cut off and bottoms partially cut out for air flow) and a piece of rubber (the kind with holes in it) shelf liner down over the wire. I hatched out 22/24 eggs, the two that didn't hatch had quite sometime during the second week. Happy hatching!

Mine started pipping on day 18 and all were hatched out by the end of day 19 so I would say to lock down on the a.m. of day 18. I had two thermometers in there and both read a steady 101.5 at the top of the eggs, but I'm thinking they may have been off by a degree or so since the hatch was so early. The chicks are six days old now and doing great so I guess it didn't hurt anything.

ETA: Don't forget to open the vent plugs, they need the oxygen while hatching. You can use clean sponges (hot water) if you need an extra bump with the humidity.

 

[TGarcia]

THANKS so much Kittymomma!!! And congrats on your hatch going well!!! Hope I have as good a luck!!!!

I wondered about putting the eggs in those carton things......Was a little worried about the new hatches moving the other eggs around and stuff. I thought about on day 18 just taking the wire out and sitting them on the bottom of the incubator too. But wondered how that may effect heat distribution and all since they have been up on that rack.

I've been using 2 thermometers as well.....along with the hydrometer. And I guess I just got lucky and didn't have any differences.....at least from what I can tell. I'm sure there is a slight difference...nothing is perfect! LOL

 

[Kittymomma]

You don't want to take the wire out because that will expose the water wells---or not, I guess since you made your own that may be set up differnetly then most of the styro style ones. I really liked the carton, the chicks didn't have too much of a problem hatching that way and the ones that hatched earlier couldn't play egg soccer with their slower hatch mates. The shelf liner was a last minute idea (stole some out of our camper) but it worked well too--provided stable footing for the hatchlings and made clean-up really easy.

good hatching vibes headed your way