Operation Dry Hatch

[rgvchicks]

hello....i did not know that hot water was not a good idea to bring up humidity and that it may harm the chicks.....i got good hatches so i thought it was allright in doing so (newbie mistake).....

.....will do as you say on my next hatch due on the 25th.....thanks for your advice

that's what I like about my incubators , I don't add hot water I use room temp water and regulate my humidity with vents and surface area and give it a day to come up instead of rapidly bringing it up ..I don't like doing anything rapid as it isn't natural and I think it effects the hatch rate.

 

[CindyG]

Seems like everyone has their own method, so it's whatever works for you. I use a Brinsea Mini Advance, and I love it, actually have two. Trying to keep my desire to hatch in check as if I had a large bator I would be overrun I know. I don't put any water in till lockdown, and run my temp at 99.8. I don't know what the humidity is but would guess around 50% or a bit less till lockdown when it goes up to about 60 with the addition of water. Works pretty good for me, last hatch I got 11 of twelve and the twelfth was fully developed, just didn't hatch.

 

[aveca]

they should make a switch so you could turn the fan off during lockdown

 

[mohillbilly]

my incubators have that switch...but i only use it when opening the incubator

 

[wholewheatchicken]

my incubators have that switch...but i only use it when opening the incubator

I know I could look up this question, but I'm worried I'll get different responses so I would like to ask our resident hatching expert........
Mohillbilly, I am going to make a wet bulb thermometer. I have the instructions for and it seems pretty easy. I don't mean to ask a question that should seem rather obvious, but when I get it made do I put it inside the incubator with the wick in a small container of water? How does that work with the humidity in the air? Or do you not use a container of water?
Thank you for your advice.

 

[mohillbilly]

the wick needs to be in a water source in the incubator. mine has a vial that you fill with water.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

the wick needs to be in a water source in the incubator. mine has a vial that you fill with water.

Yes, I think buying one might be better than making one because of that vial. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what kind of vial I could come up with that wouldn't be so much that it make the correct humidity level difficult to maintain. I was searching around trying to find one online, but didn't have much luck before the kids asked me to go watch them jump on the trampoline. Do you have a suggestion on where to buy one at? I am thinking about buying one and trying to get it here as reasonably close to the end of this week or beginning of next week as I can. I have bought three dozen eggs that are coming that I hope to not mess up! I know, I shouldn't have bought them before I figured all this out so no one needs to tell me. It was just a classic case of....it was just too good to pass up. It was just what I was wanting! But now the pressure is on hot and heavy. I will find out Monday or so if I'm on the right track as my first batch is set to hatch. I did buy a scale and the banty eggs are losing the right amount of weight, but the large fowl do not seem to be losing as quickly. I am a little confused about what to do about them, but when I started this hatch it was about trying to figure out hatching small versus large. But tomorrow evening is the official end of the second week so I might be pleasantly surprised that they are doing better than I think. I do need them to dry down to the right rate because I used the 12% guide because the last two batches they seemed to continue losing mass after day 18 and since you're not supposed to candle after that time I wanted to allow for a little bit more loss.

 

[mohillbilly]

Yes, I think buying one might be better than making one because of that vial. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what kind of vial I could come up with that wouldn't be so much that it make the correct humidity level difficult to maintain. I was searching around trying to find one online, but didn't have much luck before the kids asked me to go watch them jump on the trampoline. Do you have a suggestion on where to buy one at? I am thinking about buying one and trying to get it here as reasonably close to the end of this week or beginning of next week as I can. I have bought three dozen eggs that are coming that I hope to not mess up! I know, I shouldn't have bought them before I figured all this out so no one needs to tell me. It was just a classic case of....it was just too good to pass up. It was just what I was wanting! But now the pressure is on hot and heavy. I will find out Monday or so if I'm on the right track as my first batch is set to hatch. I did buy a scale and the banty eggs are losing the right amount of weight, but the large fowl do not seem to be losing as quickly. I am a little confused about what to do about them, but when I started this hatch it was about trying to figure out hatching small versus large. But tomorrow evening is the official end of the second week so I might be pleasantly surprised that they are doing better than I think. I do need them to dry down to the right rate because I used the 12% guide because the last two batches they seemed to continue losing mass after day 18 and since you're not supposed to candle after that time I wanted to allow for a little bit more loss.

you can sometimes get them at a feed store...but if you cant find one Cutler Supply has one just like mine with dual thermometers, tho not as old as mine

Too much loss and you will shrink wrap them...the loss of mass is just them absorbing the yolk

 

[vanalpaca]

On calibrating the hygrometer, what do you do if it is off? Buy another one?

I have Accurite brand and it seems to work alright. I have a barometer, temp/humidity gauge outside of the bator we have had for years and the Accurite seems to read the same when it is outside as it does, so I'm thinking it is ok.

Mine is one of those coiled wire ones.......

 

[vanalpaca]

ok, I have a question...

How do you do multiple hatches in the same incubator?

I have a shelf going off Saturday and one the following Saturday. So the first hatch will be taking out the turner and laying those eggs flat while the other shelf keeps turning. But I will be bumping humidity to 65%??? on Wednesday for lockdown, hatch is 'Saturday' and Monday would be day 23 for final check and removing the chicks from the first hatch.

Then do I drop humidity for the next couple of days and on the next Wednesday bump it up again?

I have a third shelf. Yes, eggs on it for the 3rd week hatch.......

thanks....