This is going to be interesting, our first run at incubating eggs. My husband and I are new to chickens and love them to death. Although we have 3 Golden Comet chicks coming later this week we wanted to get a "trial run" in at incubating eggs, with recently receiving my father's old little giant incubator we figured no time better than the present to see how it runs.
I have done a ton of researching and this is what I've come up with: my circulated air LG needs to be running at 99.5 with a humidity of about 35%. Candling at days 7, 14,and 18 will help determine the quality of the air cells of the eggs, and after day 18 I remove the turner and set the eggs on lock-down with a humidity of about 75% and that using a large wet sponge will help to maintain a higher humidity during this period. **If I am missing anything or are incorrect about any of this please, please, please tell me**
After a few long days of fighting with the incubator and the three different thermometers/hygrometers I have purchased (and since returned) and trying to get the old hens to lay I finally have enough eggs and a stable environment to set my eggs. So off we go....
As of 3:30 on 3/22/14 we have 10 eggs set with a hatch date of 4/12/14.
Question: I remember reading somewhere to keep both vents closed during the first 10 days then to open 1 air vent for the rest of the incubation period. Is this correct or will the CO2 build up end up harming my chicks to be??
I have done a ton of researching and this is what I've come up with: my circulated air LG needs to be running at 99.5 with a humidity of about 35%. Candling at days 7, 14,and 18 will help determine the quality of the air cells of the eggs, and after day 18 I remove the turner and set the eggs on lock-down with a humidity of about 75% and that using a large wet sponge will help to maintain a higher humidity during this period. **If I am missing anything or are incorrect about any of this please, please, please tell me**
After a few long days of fighting with the incubator and the three different thermometers/hygrometers I have purchased (and since returned) and trying to get the old hens to lay I finally have enough eggs and a stable environment to set my eggs. So off we go....
As of 3:30 on 3/22/14 we have 10 eggs set with a hatch date of 4/12/14.
Question: I remember reading somewhere to keep both vents closed during the first 10 days then to open 1 air vent for the rest of the incubation period. Is this correct or will the CO2 build up end up harming my chicks to be??
hope it all goes well. Would love to see them after they hatch.
