Newbie help!!!!

[LauraCTChick]

Morning everyone. I'm new to the forum and to hatching eggs. We adopted two dozen Rhode Island Red eggs two weeks ago and another dozen last Tuesday. They are all in one still air incubator.

Candling yesterday showed that out of thirty six, we have a potential of 32 peeps.

The first two dozen have plenty of veins and lots of large blobage. The last two dozen has some embryotic activity.

I plan for lockdown on the first two dozen this coming Thursday, however, I still need to manually turn the other dozen and only have one incubator.

I will take whatever information and suggestions ya'll have. I don't want to lose my peeps.

Thanks and I'm so glad I found this forum.

 

[geebs]

I have never hatched two batches together.. Let me know how that works for ya..

 

[bigstack]

If I have to open during lock down this is what I do.

Turn on the shower HOT!!! full steam! I add a small room heater and crank it! wait a while let it get very hot and humid!!!

I then take the bator in there and turn down the water if not off. It will get so steamy I couldn't breath. LOL The heat with the high humidity keeps the eggs from getting shrink wrapped when I open the bator. I look like I was in the shower when I come Out! It is HOT!!!! and VERY Humid!!!! But I have not lost any to opening the bator!


Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[bigstack]

OH YEAH!!

and a Big ol' Texas HOWDY!!!!

 

[LauraCTChick]

Thanks for the info and the welcome. I don't know how to check the humidity as the incubator didn't come with one. I'm thinking I should just go get another incubator and save myself a lot of concern.

As it is, the first incubator didn't come with a thermometer either and I'm using a meat one poked through the side of the lid.

The shells are dry to the touch, but seem a little hard. Is that normal?

 

[bigstack]

Yes, You dont want the eggs to be damp or wet! The chicks actually breath through the shell. If the shell is wet or damp they cannot get any oxygen! I got a wireless humidity/temp from lowes for like $15. I like it cause i can take it all over the house and to bed with me and see the temp. Really need to get one with humidity. Alot of people do dry hatches ( no water use) But I dont like the chances! You really want to keep around 35% until lock down then increase to 65-80% during lock down until the first egg hatches. I then remove my plugs and let the hatching eggs ( which have alot of humidity in them) maintaine the humidity. Removing the plugs once they begin to hatch also increases the oxygen inside the bator. Which the chicks need after all that time stuck in the egg. Once the first one pops its like pop corn!
I'll check back and see if I can help any.

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[LauraCTChick]

Thank you so much! I think I'm going to have to get a second bator in order to not screw up the third batch. I will lockdown and put all my plugs in on Thursday, because I think these guys will go as soon as Thursday or Friday. I have been keeping water in the bottom of the incubator for moisture but it doesn't go through a lot. I add water every four or five days.

You've been awesome!