New to Incubating

[HoneyCreekFarm]

Is there a good post about incubating or can someone give some tips and tricks?

 

[BoundlessLove]

Hello! Yes, here is a good place to start with lots of threads and helpful info.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-important-topic-index-please-review.1512879/

 

[BoundlessLove]

Please feel free to post pictures of your setup and eggs. We would like to see pics.
And we love chick pics!!

 

[HoneyCreekFarm]

Please feel free to post pictures of your setup and eggs. We would like to see pics.
And we love chick pics!!

 

[BoundlessLove]

Best wishes with your hatch!

 

[Tex452]

I have two NR 360 incubators and one maticoopx 30, I got into incubating eggs last spring when I was recovering from prostate cancer surgery, I had to do something so I got barnyard eggs from friends and family and started watching YouTube, I do the dry hatch method and have had done very well, I candle the eggs on day 18, and that’s the only time I open the incubator, I have hatched guinea and hundreds of quail with good success.
Be careful this can be addicting, I just filled all of my incubators last weekend with barnyard eggs, 74 chicken eggs
I have 7 speckled Sussex hens and a rooster that I will be hatching eggs from this spring, they aren’t laying yet.

 

[Smokerbill]

I have the same incubator as you. My first hatch was of ten eggs from my best laying, largest pullet. All ten hatched into healthy chicks.

I have a second batch of eggs from the same pullet in the incubator now, nine this time. I candled at 7 days and 13 days to verify that all were developing. I'll remove the turner tray later today and put them on lockdown.

I followed the NR 360 instructions pretty close, but kept the humidity level lower than recommended, at around 43% on average during the first 18 days.

I fill the second reservoir with water on day 19, which brings the humidity up around 60%. Those humidity readings come from an accurate temp/humidity gauge that's inside the incubator with the eggs. The built in humidity gauge always reads 10% higher than the backup gauge.

It was difficult for me to see inside the eggs with the built in candler light. I cut a small hole in a piece of cardboard to lay over the incubator when candling to block light leakage around the edges, and it made it easier to see inside the eggs.

For insulation, I keep a towel wrapped around the incubator all the time, being sure to leave both vents uncovered. I also leave the adjustable vent completely open all 21 days. I had to bump up the set temp to 100.5 degrees in order to maintain the internal temp within a 99.5 to 100.5 degree range.