PLEASE help me with incubation!

[ChickenCharmer]

My broody hen, Angela, was taken away from her nest by a raccoon this evening, and I am in tears. Angela was a mutt so I can't just get another one. So I took her eggs and put them in the bator. Until now, I have always relied on the broodies to hatch my chicks for me, but since my precious Angela is dead I shall have to incubate them myself. The point is, I have absolutely no experience with this, so you guys have to coach me. From day one to day twenty-one. Thanks.

 

[marymac]

You sound kinda like me. My Broodie can't make up her mind, so I had to borrow a incubator to try and hatch 7 BCM eggs I bought from a member on BYC. I too have no clue as to what I'm really doing. That's why I like leaving it up to my broodies and mother nature. that way if things fail I don't feel I'm the one that messed up. I just put water in the bottom of my bator and was told by my friend the right temp was already set. So far it's been staying at 99.5 a couple of days. I turn the eggs over 3 times a day by hand. I have no clue what humidity it is. I really don't like what i see the odds are of hatching for shipped eggs in a bator, but I don't have other choice. I'l probably be lucky if 1 or 2 hatch. I thought about using an egg carton like I've read on here people do, but that sounds confusing too. If this fails, I'm done with hatching. Hope it all works out for both of us. I'l keep my fingers crossed.

 

[bigkford]

What kind of bator do you have? That part is important so you can set the right temp.

 

[Riven]

The main question you'll probably get is what kind of incubator do you have? Still air is not as good as moving air... if you don't have automatic turners you need to turn twice a day to make sure the embryo doesn't stick to the egg!

 

[bigkford]

Quote:
Actually you want to turn at least three times a day, I do five.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

I have a cheapo incubator. It's a styrofoam still-air tabletop incubator and has no fancy gadgets. Right now I have five bantam eggs in there and I need help throughout the process.

 

[bigkford]

Quote:
I have a still air table top too. It is over 20 years old. But any way you will need to get a gauge to read your humidity and temp. They are cheap at wal-mart. You wanna keep your temp at 102.5 and I have been running my humidity at 40 to 45% the first 18 days and putting it up to 50 to 50% the last three days for lockdown. I have had very good hatch rates with that.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Quote:
I have a still air table top too. It is over 20 years old. But any way you will need to get a gauge to read your humidity and temp. They are cheap at wal-mart. You wanna keep your temp at 102.5 and I have been running my humidity at 40 to 45% the first 18 days and putting it up to 50 to 50% the last three days for lockdown. I have had very good hatch rates with that.

102?? According to the incubator's instructions, the temp is supposed to be 99.5 degrees.

 

[bigkford]

Quote:
I have a still air table top too. It is over 20 years old. But any way you will need to get a gauge to read your humidity and temp. They are cheap at wal-mart. You wanna keep your temp at 102.5 and I have been running my humidity at 40 to 45% the first 18 days and putting it up to 50 to 50% the last three days for lockdown. I have had very good hatch rates with that.

102?? According to the incubator's instructions, the temp is supposed to be 99.5 degrees.

With the still air you want 102.5. I went by the instructions I was given with the bator when it was given to me and did not find info like I do here. I too kept it at 99.5 and never hatched anything. I stopped trying for years because of it. On this site they have is a very informative page on incubating and hatching eggs for both still air and circulated air which is with a fan. I beleive its at the top of this page. Also I meant to say 50 to 60% humidity.