BaileyMChicks
Songster
I just started hatching in an incubator, so I don't know how much good my input will do, but here goes.
I got a brinsea mini eco incubator around the beginning of the year, and I have done three hatches so far. There's a built in mercury thermometer in the incubator, near the top of the incubator. I also got a thermometer/hydrometer since there wasn't a hydrometer in there. The first time I tried to hatch, I had the incubator in an area where the temps fluctuated too much, and for the first 7 days it was in that spot. So, what happened was that I was looking at the digital thermometer for the temp, and it kept saying it was too low. So I kept adjusting the temp up. Well, it turns out that it had been too cold and the thermometer wouldn't go up anymore. The temp ended up at 103 for about 4 days straight. I had 8 eggs. 3 started developing, one quit, and the other 2 hatched out early. The one chick had a partially unabsorbed yolk sack and a weird eyelid, and the other died three days later for an unknown reason. The next time I hatched about 2 months later, I had 9 eggs. 2 weren't fertilized, and one quit at day 11. The rest hatched just fine.I don't even know how old the eggs were. The one was in a fridge in my garage to be sold to be eaten. Since the one mercury thermometer is up right next to the top of the incubator, I make sure that one stays at about 101-102, and the digital stays at about 89-97 degrees F. I keep the humidity at about 30-40% during the first 18 days, and 65-80 at lock down. So far that has worked just fine. But when it comes to humidity, I just adjust depending on the air cell size. I like to candle as often as possible, because I like watching the chicks grow and move around in the egg, so I just make sure the air cells are growing at the correct rate depending on the chicken egg air cell charts you can find online. I like to look at like 2 or 3 of them so I can get a good average depending on the pictures. Because some of the pictures show the air cells a little too small in my opinion, and some show them too big. And I agree, I think the humidity was too high. I get worried when my humidity is at 47% for the first 18 days, and I think you said yours was at 65%?
Also, just saying, I didn't calibrate my hydrometer. I don't think I need to. Even if it isn't technically at 35%, as long as I adjust according to air cell size and make sure they grow appropriately, I don't think the technical percent really matters all that much. Just watch your air cells and if they are too small, take out some water(that means it was too high. So if it was at 50% on your hydrometer, then it should be lower), and if they are too big, add some water(that means the humidity was too low. So if it was at 20%, then it should be higher). I hope this makes sense.
I got a brinsea mini eco incubator around the beginning of the year, and I have done three hatches so far. There's a built in mercury thermometer in the incubator, near the top of the incubator. I also got a thermometer/hydrometer since there wasn't a hydrometer in there. The first time I tried to hatch, I had the incubator in an area where the temps fluctuated too much, and for the first 7 days it was in that spot. So, what happened was that I was looking at the digital thermometer for the temp, and it kept saying it was too low. So I kept adjusting the temp up. Well, it turns out that it had been too cold and the thermometer wouldn't go up anymore. The temp ended up at 103 for about 4 days straight. I had 8 eggs. 3 started developing, one quit, and the other 2 hatched out early. The one chick had a partially unabsorbed yolk sack and a weird eyelid, and the other died three days later for an unknown reason. The next time I hatched about 2 months later, I had 9 eggs. 2 weren't fertilized, and one quit at day 11. The rest hatched just fine.I don't even know how old the eggs were. The one was in a fridge in my garage to be sold to be eaten. Since the one mercury thermometer is up right next to the top of the incubator, I make sure that one stays at about 101-102, and the digital stays at about 89-97 degrees F. I keep the humidity at about 30-40% during the first 18 days, and 65-80 at lock down. So far that has worked just fine. But when it comes to humidity, I just adjust depending on the air cell size. I like to candle as often as possible, because I like watching the chicks grow and move around in the egg, so I just make sure the air cells are growing at the correct rate depending on the chicken egg air cell charts you can find online. I like to look at like 2 or 3 of them so I can get a good average depending on the pictures. Because some of the pictures show the air cells a little too small in my opinion, and some show them too big. And I agree, I think the humidity was too high. I get worried when my humidity is at 47% for the first 18 days, and I think you said yours was at 65%?
Also, just saying, I didn't calibrate my hydrometer. I don't think I need to. Even if it isn't technically at 35%, as long as I adjust according to air cell size and make sure they grow appropriately, I don't think the technical percent really matters all that much. Just watch your air cells and if they are too small, take out some water(that means it was too high. So if it was at 50% on your hydrometer, then it should be lower), and if they are too big, add some water(that means the humidity was too low. So if it was at 20%, then it should be higher). I hope this makes sense.
