Set our second hatch Saturday 5/12/12

[wcstory]

Hi there, I also started a hatch on Saturday night. 20 Salmon Faverolles, 11 Light Brahma, 6 Auracana and 4 Dorking eggs. This is only my second try at hatching. I'm looking for a place chat with another and to ask questions. First hatch went well but still learning. So what would be the ideal humidity level for the first 18 days? I'm running about 50% is that too high? Thanks and glad to have a hatching buddy!!! I'm using a Little Giant and last hatch I too had some troubles with the temp. This time, so far at leas,t it's holding pretty steady but it is also full, only had 15 eggs last time. I wonder if that makes a difference.

I do think the LG does better with more mass to stabilize the temps. When checking my LG out before setting my first batch I filled the area below the screen with aquarium gravel.


So far the incubation is going well. Temp is hovering between 99.3 and 99.8. The humidity started out at 55% and is slowly dropping, currently at 42%.

The link posted for a dry hatch cheat sheet is a great guide along with Bill Worrell's dry hatch article.

 

[chicks@feathers]

WE have 2 incubators one is a QFC and the other is a old red wood that we really love it really hatch out great but we already have it full of egg that sould hatch out this sunday except for our turkey egg they will take another week

 

[chicks@feathers]

Opps forgot to tell you they are both Cabnit incubators I can hold around 30 Dozen in each one at a time if I want but Normally have the set up to hatch some out each week.

 

[wcstory]

.......I can hold around 30 Dozen in each one at a time........

Wow, We have our hands full caring for a dozen. Granted the wife and daughter are competing to see who can spoil the chicks more.

 

[Beckymca]

Wow, We have our hands full caring for a dozen. Granted the wife and daughter are competing to see who can spoil the chicks more.

Wish there was a "like" button, too cute!!!!

 

[Avonshire]

I am always looking for the like button too!

 

[Beckymca]

Thank you for the link to the dry hatch info!!! Have you tried this? I got my humidity down, was good at about 42% but dropped overnight to 29% so I added a bit of water, now at about 43%. I have the next 2 days off and have a million things to do but hoping to candle and check things out more over the next few days. This is nice to have someone to share with, thank you. My neighbor, the one who got me into chickens, also set 4 dozen in her 2 incubators a day or 2 behind me. I've got to catch up with her this weekend and see how things are going on her end too. Fun, fun!!!!

 

[Beckymca]

Oh and this is my new project, My aunt and uncle used this to hatch out all their own chickens when they were raising a family. My uncle passed in a car accident 27 yrs ago, my aunt never ran this incubator again. She painted it and used it for tool shed, lol.... I don't know what I can do with it but I'm really hoping to get it home maybe this weekend, clean it out, make repairs and wire it for a more updated version. It is a vintage Buckeye incubator dating back to the 1940 era. Way too cool!!!! When I finally get it home I'll take better pics, the flags cover the faceplate that states it's a Buckeye and has an igniter/damper system and the second picture is a plate on the inside of the bator. So what do you think? I think it is super cool!!!!

 

[Avonshire]

Very cool!! I was hoping to do some candling tonight and see if we can see anything. I have a couple of bantam cochin eggs that are suppose to mature faster so maybe we will see something! Cool incubator!! Good luck to you on restoring it!!

 

[wcstory]

Thank you for the link to the dry hatch info!!!  Have you tried this? 

This is only our second time, but both people I got eggs from suggested this method. We had good results on or first hatch.