Question about shipped eggs - when to call it over?

[suburbanfarm]

Ah that is trickier if you need the incubator. Maybe try the float test?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...iability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching.383525/

Thanks I didn't know about that. I did just put the eggs in today, there was only one I saw movement in a couple of days ago but haven't seen movement today or yesterday. Just don't know when to call it over.

 

[RoosterML]

I keep humidity in the 30’s , I don’t really increase the humidity much at lock down (40’s) As they hatch the humidity will spike on its own. Good luck

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Make sure to turn your eggs. It's critical in first days of incubation for high hatch rate. With them in a carton you tilt the carton by putting a block under one side then shift it to other side midday then back evening. Gives you three turns a day.

Temp is the most important part so ensure your thermometer is calibrated and at the same location and elevation as the eggs. I calibrate temp by putting an oral thermometer down a vent hole. This works if you have incubator with a fan. If you have a still air incubator then the air temp at top will be higher, about 38.5 C.

 

[suburbanfarm]

I keep humidity in the 30’s , I don’t really increase the humidity much at lock down (40’s) As they hatch the humidity will spike on its own. Good luck

Interesting to hear that you're hatching at that humidity. I'm doing my first dry incubation (in my other incubator) at the moment, as I was finding it was going too high and such a hassle trying to keep it down. It's around 30% running dry so I thought it was worth a shot. But I didn't realise you could hatch so low.

I'd been having about 70% for hatching because I thought some of the membranes looked dry, so I thought I needed to keep humidity higher....

 

[suburbanfarm]

Make sure to turn your eggs. It's critical in first days of incubation for high hatch rate. With them in a carton you tilt the carton by putting a block under one side then shift it to other side midday then back evening. Gives you three turns a day.

Temp is the most important part so ensure your thermometer is calibrated and at the same location and elevation as the eggs. I calibrate temp by putting an oral thermometer down a vent hole. This works if you have incubator with a fan. If you have a still air incubator then the air temp at top will be higher, about 38.5 C.

Yes doing that with the carton, and gently moving the eggs to face downwards in each direction slightly. I hope this is right.

This current hatch is my first time using a carton for days 1-15, then laid down on the side. I did it this way because they were shipped eggs. I had about 7/12 look viable at day 15 then somehow completely stuff it up after that

Not sure if it was temp too low, humidity upped too early, or just the damage due to shipping/summer....

 

[suburbanfarm]

Temp is the most important part so ensure your thermometer is calibrated and at the same location and elevation as the eggs. I calibrate temp by putting an oral thermometer down a vent hole. This works if you have incubator with a fan. If you have a still air incubator then the air temp at top will be higher, about 38.5 C.

I have a thermometer/hygrometer and yes keep it nearby to eggs, but hadn't worked out how to calibrate it. So I will consider an oral thermometer. I have done salt test to calibrate humidity.

Fan incubator, janoel 24

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Oral thermometers are the least expensive most accurate means of determining temp. I calibrate the thermometer in incubator via an oral.

Here's a 10 page thread on Janoel 24. Perhaps there is information specific to that model for high hatch rate therein-

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/janoel-24-incubator-experts-please.874277/

 

[RoosterML]

Interesting to hear that you're hatching at that humidity. I'm doing my first dry incubation (in my other incubator) at the moment, as I was finding it was going too high and such a hassle trying to keep it down. It's around 30% running dry so I thought it was worth a shot. But I didn't realise you could hatch so low.

I'd been having about 70% for hatching because I thought some of the membranes looked dry, so I thought I needed to keep humidity higher....

Target for me has been . 30-40 35 ideal.
What’s happens is I normally add water 2 times a day. I go down when I wake up and it’s down to 15% when I add some water it spikes to 50% giving me an average of 30’s
I add water at night with same scenario.
Once lockdown hits I dump alittle extra water in. Has worked well for chicken and quail eggs.
Also with dark eggs such as Marans you are better of running on the low side with your humidity.
Best of luck

 

[cmom]

I usually incubate my eggs starting at around 30% humidity. At lockdown I increase it to around 70%. The chicks need the added moisture so they can move around in their shells to pip and zip. If the humidity is too high during incubation the chicks can drown when they pip the air cell as moisture can build up in it. As far as the temperature, if it runs low the chicks can take a couple of extra days before hatching and if it runs high they can hatch a couple of days early. My latest hatch was on day 25. This chick was marked as a quitter (X). Good luck...

 

[Willawong Hill]

Thanks I didn't know about that. I did just put the eggs in today, there was only one I saw movement in a couple of days ago but haven't seen movement today or yesterday. Just don't know when to call it over.

Maybe it's worth making a safety hole and see if you can see any movement? If not proceed to assisted hatch/eggtopsy?