New to incubating

[Egghead_Jr]

Hi what's a good humidity for eggs

I believe the biggest factor to the range of humidity people use is very few people calibrate hygrometers. Google "salt test". It's a sure fire method and not complicated.

Here's how I do it:

Milk or juice cap filled with salt. Add drops of water (I use tap water) until salt is saturated. Pour off standing water.

Place cap and hygrometer into a quart sized, or sandwich size if fits, zip seal bag. I allow a small pillow of air.

Wait 4 hours and take your reading. A salt environment will be 75%.

For calibration # subtract 75 from your reading. Write that calibration # on piece of tape and stick to incubator as reminder to add or subtract # for true RH.

Ex: Your reading is 82%. 75-82= -7. Calibration is -7. Always subtract 7 for true RH.

With that said I find I need no adjustment for good air cells running 30-35% first 18 days. 70% is a good RH for hatching, some run a bit higher some a bit lower. I'm finding 70% creates less problems of chicks sticking to shells. I use to run 60-65% and if your not on top of letting moisture out of incubator when it spikes as they start hatching it the high moisture and back to 60ish RH cause the sticking problem on the later hatchlings.

 

[wallsden]

What do you think about the DIY styrofoam ones?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I think it's not hard to hatch an egg. But I try and have every egg set in hatch. This will not be done in some incubators. A 40w incandescent light bulb with hot water heater thermostat and fan in styro beer cooler will work but don't expect a high hatch rate. And hand turning is all well and good your first few hatches as we're all uber excited and on top of things. After a few years of hand turning I noticed hatch rates started to plummet...got an auto turner and had my first 100% hatch. So it's all about your idea of acceptable losses. I hatch mailed eggs at times too so really want a system I can count on as shipped eggs are lucky to have 50% hatch on average.

 

[wallsden]

Thanks for input.. I won't be trying it for a few years for I can only have three chickens at a time. Mine are only 15 weeks old.

 

[hhbirdlover]

I am incubating 12 ayam cemani eggs. So far( day 2 ) 10 out of the 12 are fertile without a doubt. With one looking like two embryos. I knew it was larger do to double yolk. Any advice.

 

[Danster1001]

I have bought a really cheap (excuse the pun) 7 chick incubator. But has no instructions. How do I add water ? How much water ? What temps for what daus?
Many thanks in advance you awesome helpful chick lovers