OK, I'm back with a report on my last two hatches. Just hatch results with temp and humidity, not including fertility.
Incubation on the first batch went well. Using about 45% humidity with slight raise to 50% when I add water but not for long and drop down to 32% before I add the next water, only for a few hours max. And I put 7 into the hatcher for lock down at 65-70% humidity. Where I see condensation just starting to form around the edges of the windows. Had 2 hatch, but one with it yolk not absorbed passed. My worst hatch ever!
Note I was using an upright auto turner and lay flat for hatch. Incubation with forced air at 100 degrees and hatch with still air 100 degrees (by day 20).
Second batch, SAME incubation parameters, since hatches did take place on the correct day and is how all my previous hatches were pretty good (75-90%). However, through investigation... I discovered that my thermometer in my hatcher was off by as much as 4 degrees, despite having used it successfully for all previous hatches! So that would at least partly explain my worst hatch ever. Thought I might have to give up on Silkies before that discovery.
BUT... Got another thermometer and verified accuracy... and, drum roll please.... 15/15 hatched! 
13 on the correct day 2 more less than 12 hours into the following day. I pulled the first 13 and getting ready to pull the last two.
So I have been using paper towels in my bator. Good ol' Viva is my very favorite to use for my family. They're smooth and SOFT. I suspected and now confirmed that it's way to slippery for my hatchlings. Had 2 end up with slight splay leg, which I am currently trying to fix. And will not use that type of towel again. I will probably switch to the rubber shelf liners, though I have considered just getting rougher paper towels for hatch. But, I think lining the bottom of the hatcher with the towels has been giving me a challenge. Because even with all of my wells full underneath I still have to add major water containers to get my humidity up... and it's already 65% humidity inside my house (which is ONLY relevant to how many wells you need to fill to achieve your desired humidity and nothing else). My theory says that even though the water in the wells is evaporating that it is being absorbed into my awesome dry paper towels...
Anyways, I seem to learn something new every single time!
I scrolled back and didn't see one of my favorite hatching resources with you yet. This is the MAIN guideline I use and find it extremely helpful even in determining what went wrong. Hope it's helpful to you as well...
http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guide_english__030374800_0945_07012015.pdf
Happy hatching!
Incubation on the first batch went well. Using about 45% humidity with slight raise to 50% when I add water but not for long and drop down to 32% before I add the next water, only for a few hours max. And I put 7 into the hatcher for lock down at 65-70% humidity. Where I see condensation just starting to form around the edges of the windows. Had 2 hatch, but one with it yolk not absorbed passed. My worst hatch ever!
Note I was using an upright auto turner and lay flat for hatch. Incubation with forced air at 100 degrees and hatch with still air 100 degrees (by day 20).
Second batch, SAME incubation parameters, since hatches did take place on the correct day and is how all my previous hatches were pretty good (75-90%). However, through investigation... I discovered that my thermometer in my hatcher was off by as much as 4 degrees, despite having used it successfully for all previous hatches! So that would at least partly explain my worst hatch ever. Thought I might have to give up on Silkies before that discovery.
BUT... Got another thermometer and verified accuracy... and, drum roll please.... 15/15 hatched! 13 on the correct day 2 more less than 12 hours into the following day. I pulled the first 13 and getting ready to pull the last two.So I have been using paper towels in my bator. Good ol' Viva is my very favorite to use for my family. They're smooth and SOFT. I suspected and now confirmed that it's way to slippery for my hatchlings. Had 2 end up with slight splay leg, which I am currently trying to fix. And will not use that type of towel again. I will probably switch to the rubber shelf liners, though I have considered just getting rougher paper towels for hatch. But, I think lining the bottom of the hatcher with the towels has been giving me a challenge. Because even with all of my wells full underneath I still have to add major water containers to get my humidity up... and it's already 65% humidity inside my house (which is ONLY relevant to how many wells you need to fill to achieve your desired humidity and nothing else). My theory says that even though the water in the wells is evaporating that it is being absorbed into my awesome dry paper towels...
Anyways, I seem to learn something new every single time!
I scrolled back and didn't see one of my favorite hatching resources with you yet. This is the MAIN guideline I use and find it extremely helpful even in determining what went wrong. Hope it's helpful to you as well...
http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guide_english__030374800_0945_07012015.pdf
Happy hatching!
