Need Some Advice! First Time Using Home Made Incubator

[xXxSharonxXx]

Hi everyone!

This is my first time using a home made incubator, and I need some advice! I am entering day 18 (lockdown) for two of my 5 eggs. I am probably going to have to move these two eggs this evening since the others don't start lockdown until Thursday (which is when the first two should start hatching).

I had a lot of hiccups with this first round. Temps went too low sometimes (95 F), and then sometimes too high (up to 104F). Mostly they have stayed between 99F - 100F. So far everyone is still alive and moving in the eggs. I am just having a lot of trouble getting the humidity above 30%. I know this is crucial during lockdown for the chicks to hatch. Any tips? I heard about using a sponge. How big of a sponge? I also heard about using a larger bowl with more surface area.

Which of the two is more effective? And I want to understand how/why a sponge is effective in raising humidity? I want to learn more about this so I can potentially do better next time! Thank you everyone!

 

[ronott1]

Hi everyone!

This is my first time using a home made incubator, and I need some advice! I am entering day 18 (lockdown) for two of my 5 eggs. I am probably going to have to move these two eggs this evening since the others don't start lockdown until Thursday (which is when the first two should start hatching).

I had a lot of hiccups with this first round. Temps went too low sometimes (95 F), and then sometimes too high (up to 104F). Mostly they have stayed between 99F - 100F. So far everyone is still alive and moving in the eggs. I am just having a lot of trouble getting the humidity above 30%. I know this is crucial during lockdown for the chicks to hatch. Any tips? I heard about using a sponge. How big of a sponge? I also heard about using a larger bowl with more surface area.

Which of the two is more effective? And I want to understand how/why a sponge is effective in raising humidity? I want to learn more about this so I can potentially do better next time! Thank you everyone!

Get a container the same size as the sponge. Put the sponge in the container and fill to the top of the sponge with water. This keeps the chicks from drowning in the water when they hatch.

Keep adding sponges until humidity gets to 65%

I doubt you will need more than two

 

[xXxSharonxXx]

Thank you for this! Turns out my hygrometer was several points lower than the actual humidity. All eggs have hatched and the babies are healthy and strong!!

 

[ronott1]

Congratulations!