Now I'm confused.....!!???

[NestingHillsSC]

Thanks. I bought a temp/hum gage today. Humidity showing at 51%. So I will just leave it there. This thermometer is showing about 1/2 to 1 degree hotter. I know my other one was right on. Put it in ice water and stayed right at 32. Got lucky I guess. The tray in there I have to fill about everyday and half. Only holds about an 1 1/2" of water. Not very big either. The fan is pretty big I think. Blows across the water at an angle. They had the water and fan at the top of the incubator but I moved everything to the bottom. As u see it's made of plywood. Will paint inside and out after this run. But it really does hold temp very very well. no flux unless I open the door to turn the eggs. But comes right back up.. I guess I will have to put a lot bigger pan in the bottom for the last 3 days to get the humidity up.

This is just sort of a test run. I have unlimited amount of eggs. So nothing lost but the cost of the 2 dozen eggs I would have sold.

 

[Bill 101]

About humidity, It's not the depth of water that makes the difference, but the surface area, ie, a 8" x 8" pan will evaporate more water (increase humidity) than a 6" x 6" pan. So if you can't get enough humidity with the existing pan, you can replace it with a larger one. It's square inches of surface area that makes the difference. 6x6 being 36 sq inches & an 8x8 being 64", so you can see what a couple of inches makes. If the pan is to big, meaning that it supplies to much humidity, you can cover part of the pan . Either way you'd want one deep enough so you didn't have to open the incubator as often.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I got yea. Just set 20 RIR eggs. So we will see. LOL. I did notice when I took out of storage to cool down they got some moister on some of the tips. I patted those down with a paper towel. Next time I will take them out of the egg cartons to cool down. Hope it didn't hurt them.

 

[1655ot]

Here's a very interesting post by conferderate money farm. It concerns humidity vs. ventilation. It makes all these different humidities make sense.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/151741/ventilation-is-the-key-not-humidity

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Here's a very interesting post by conferderate money farm. It concerns humidity vs. ventilation. It makes all these different humidities make sense.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/151741/ventilation-is-the-key-not-humidity

Very, very interesting. Thank you for this.

 

[yinepu]

first.. ignore the hygrometers.. they probably need to be calibrated anyway

second.. either candle the eggs or weigh them
the eggs will tell you everything you need to know about the humidity for that particular hatch.
If you can not candle them then weigh them since all eggs need to lose a certain amount of moisture in order to hatch well

The air cells (or weight) will be your guide...
If the air cells are getting too big too quickly then add moisture

if they are getting too big too slowly then your humidity is too high


and please at "lockdown" leave the vents OPEN
It makes no sense what so ever to monitor the air cells or weight then have the chicks die from carbon dioxide poisoning due to lack of fresh air exchange (oxygen)

if your temperature has been correct during incubation and you monitor the air cells or weight.. and also allow plenty of oxygen you should have 100% hatch rates on local eggs.. shipped eggs will usually be lower. Just remember to turn the eggs and practice good incubation hygiene and you shouldn't have any problems unless the fan placement of your bator ends up drying out the hatching chicks

Incubation and hatching is easy for all kinds of birds.. so please don't make yourself crazy trying to second guess things when the eggs will tell you what they need

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I take it the air cell looks black when candling?? If so the duck eggs look just like the pick. Chicken egg where just put in yesterday. Will take a look. Been over 24 hours now.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Yep, my chicken eggs look just like the graph. Leaving it like it is. Did cover up the water tray with foil last night. Brought it down from 52/54% to 42/42%.

 

[yinepu]

I take it the air cell looks black when candling?? If so the duck eggs look just like the pick. Chicken egg where just put in yesterday. Will take a look. Been over 24 hours now.

as incubation progresses the chick or duckling will become darker than the air cell. i have no how long your duck eggs have been incubating... but in a "normal" egg the air cell will be at the larger end of the egg. On shipped eggs the air cell may move around or even be bubbly. And as incubation progresses the air cell will stabilize in the egg.. often times having a saddle shape in shipped eggs
Moving air cells, bubbly ones as well as saddle shaped ones can still hatch just fine..

If the egg stays "clear" where light penetrates through the whole thing easily and you are on day 15 or 20 you will know that was an infertile or scrambled egg

remember.. light will shine through "air" easier than it will through a solid mass like a chick or duckling

with candling you can also watch for the veins forming as well as the "spider" embryo (where it has just started to form and looks like a spider or octopus inside the egg)

Just remember to wash your hands before handling the eggs to wash off oils and excess bacteria
And also do not bump or jar the eggs since that can kill the growing embryo

 

[yinepu]

Yep, my chicken eggs look just like the graph. Leaving it like it is. Did cover up the water tray with foil last night. Brought it down from 52/54% to 42/42%.

Just be sure to monitor it now and then and adjust your humidity as needed