Serama and Silkie hatching tips?

[Altfrizzle]

I'm about to set my first (half silkie/half serama) Pippi eggs, and I've read from people that hatch dry, and say they have the best hatch rate that way, to people that incubate at 60% humidity, and say that gives them the best rate.

I've NOT had good luck with prior attempts at dry incubation (on silkies).

I had 100% hatch rate on my last hatch of silkie and sizzle eggs in the Incuview, with 45-55% humidity throughout and 75% at lockdown, however I did end up having to assist and although yolks were absorbed, there seemed to be a lot of blood in the shells after hatch. I'd not seen that before. They did seem big for the eggs but they were also pullet eggs.

So, could you share info on:
Incubation humidity
lockdown humidity
% hatched from % that went into lockdown

Thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I had 100% hatch rate on my last hatch of silkie and sizzle eggs in the Incuview, with 45-55% humidity throughout and 75% at lockdown, however I did end up having to assist

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Wow, 100% hatch rate... you got nothing to complain about.

Assisting is a personal choice. I never know what I will do until faced with it. And have assisted a chick to its death by my intervening.

Thanks for sharing your experience. My first Silkie hatch was my worst hatch ever. But I had a power failure for several hours when I wasn't home and eggs were 78 when power returned. So I can't count that as the norm. I still had 5 out of 11 hatch on day 21 with my humidity kept around 35-40 & raised to 65% for hatch. Above that and I get condensation starting on windows.

I have noticed some shells redder on the inside than others, but haven't yet looked into what if anything that it means. It's a good question.

Are they pipping in the correct location? Some of my eggs are to round for me to even tell the right way to set the.

Seems like turning information might help as well?

 

[Altfrizzle]

I used an auto-turner.

I've assisted chicks and had them not make it, but I tend to think they wouldn't have, anyway.

IIRC, some of these were pipped in the wrong spot, and more than one pipped and then tried to unzip up and down, not around the egg! I think they were too big to maneuver. I think that was a pullet egg thing? Not sure, though.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I used an auto-turner.

Not that I know of any difference, but just curiosity for comparison sake... is your turner on the side type or sitting inside the cups?

I just got my new turner and circulated air bator.

I also think the ones I assisted to their death were not going to make it anyways.

I know there's lots of people hatching Silkies. The lack of response might be since these things go by the front page pretty fast. So if you need to, just try a little "bump" post to get it back in the mix for people to see.

 

[Altfrizzle]

I use an Incuview which turner slides side to side, rolling them horizontally.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hmm, on my phone the other day I saw an interesting Silkie hatching thread, where it indicated people were getting their best hatches with semi dry incubation and very moist hatch. But the one that I found interesting talked about up right hatching (I think in a paper carton) giving the best results. I haven't yet researched it, but thought I would at least mention it. I couldn't find it again on this tablet or I would have linked it for you.

Will also try to report back my result from future hatches to your original question regarding environmental parameters and such with hatch results.

 

[Bryam]

If you live in a dry cold area add water to your incubator.

 

[Altfrizzle]

Tried "dry hatching" over the summer with disastrous results. 2 and 3 hatched with assistance out of two sets, 16 each. Shrink wrapped. Horrible.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@Thorn Fulford needs advice on what to do about shrink wrapping. I’ve only hatched eggs once and that was 8 years ago. 2 out of 3 quail eggs hatched. I’d love to hatch chicks again. What incubator would you guys recommend to say 10-15 eggs?

 

[Altfrizzle]

Incuview! It holds way more than that but it's worth every penny.