How old is the paint? It almost looks like a rooster there, the way it's standing, but I could be dead wrong! lolI picked out my silkies today! Here's what I got
I'm pretty sure the Blue and the Partrige are girls but really don't know about the paint I'm hoping girl. We will see what do you guys think?
Dry incubation isn't really totally dry. I do it all the time. I have a Brinsea that has two water channels. During the first 18 days I make sure my humidity is between 20-40%, and absolutely no higher than 50-- if it ever reaches 50%, it is usually only for a few hours. I fill up a channel with water and that is when it usually spikes. I let it run this way for several days until I drop below 20%, but what you don't realize is that some incubators can hold humidity without actually having any water in there. So when I reach 35% humidity or there about, I actually have no more water in my machine. But I leave it and I don't refill it. I let it go for a couple of days with no water and watch the humidity closely. Once it drops to 20%, then I add more water. So during an incubation, I am dry incubating for several days during the whole process. However... that does not mean to start out with a dry incubator, but if you have a nice tight incubator, you might be able to hold humidity and run it dry (after it was run wet) and if your eggs are releasing water/fluid to contribute to the humidity. I have had issues with my humidity being too high during the first 18 days-- and if so, sometimes, the chicks will pip internally and then die. It's a shame and I've lost several that way. If you are going to run your humidity higher-- like you said around 56%, then you need to watch your air cells CLOSELY and be sure they are getting larger quick enough or you could wind up with not much air. I usually candle a couple of times just to check air cells and be sure they are "growing" like they should be. Once I hit 18-19 days, then I spike my humidity by filling up both water channels and even throwing in warm wet towels-- and at this point, you can't be too high; my humidity goal is 75%. I open my vents more so the air exchange is a bit better, because with more humidity, the harder it is to breathe. But not so much that it dries them out. It's just a balancing act!! And after you hatch a few loads of eggs, you'll have a better idea of what to do.Yes, I can understand that. Thanks. The humidity wasn't high for days, it was a little high for maybe a few hours, to half a day, once really. The rest of the time it wasn't on 56% it was lower. Or so I believe based on the hygrometer and the wet bulb. Arrggh.
Dry incubation isn't really totally dry. I do it all the time. I have a Brinsea that has two water channels. During the first 18 days I make sure my humidity is between 20-40%, and absolutely no higher than 50-- if it ever reaches 50%, it is usually only for a few hours. I fill up a channel with water and that is when it usually spikes. I let it run this way for several days until I drop below 20%, but what you don't realize is that some incubators can hold humidity without actually having any water in there. So when I reach 35% humidity or there about, I actually have no more water in my machine. But I leave it and I don't refill it. I let it go for a couple of days with no water and watch the humidity closely. Once it drops to 20%, then I add more water. So during an incubation, I am dry incubating for several days during the whole process. However... that does not mean to start out with a dry incubator, but if you have a nice tight incubator, you might be able to hold humidity and run it dry (after it was run wet) and if your eggs are releasing water/fluid to contribute to the humidity. I have had issues with my humidity being too high during the first 18 days-- and if so, sometimes, the chicks will pip internally and then die. It's a shame and I've lost several that way. If you are going to run your humidity higher-- like you said around 56%, then you need to watch your air cells CLOSELY and be sure they are getting larger quick enough or you could wind up with not much air. I usually candle a couple of times just to check air cells and be sure they are "growing" like they should be. Once I hit 18-19 days, then I spike my humidity by filling up both water channels and even throwing in warm wet towels-- and at this point, you can't be too high; my humidity goal is 75%. I open my vents more so the air exchange is a bit better, because with more humidity, the harder it is to breathe. But not so much that it dries them out. It's just a balancing act!! And after you hatch a few loads of eggs, you'll have a better idea of what to do.
Oh and yeah, you'll need to recalibrate your hygrometer every year and double check it. Mine for some reason wouldn't salt calibrate to the correct reading, so I've noted by how far it's off and add that back in when I'm reading. It's off by 9% which is a BIG difference if you aren't paying attention. But since I know how far it's off, I still use it and just keep that in mind when I read it. I've recalibrated mine probably 4 or 5 times since I started incubating to be sure I'm getting the most accurate reading I can get.
I picked out my silkies today! Here's what I got
I'm pretty sure the Blue and the Partrige are girls but really don't know about the paint I'm hoping girl. We will see what do you guys think?
Thanks 4Hchickmama
The splash is 4 months and the bigger girls 5. The lady I got them from has a beautiful farm a super neat place. The eggs she hatched out came from some breeders I recognize being mentioned on here. Catdance, Elite silkies,CJ' silkies. I am so excited to have these guys.
I couldn't find an ad for what we used around the bottom of our run to keep the babies in but it looks like chicken wire only the holes are 1/2 in. Hope you find something that works for you!
They look very pretty!!I picked out my silkies today! Here's what I got
I'm pretty sure the Blue and the Partrige are girls but really don't know about the paint I'm hoping girl. We will see what do you guys think?
I realized that wire has 1 inch holes. The shape makes it look smaller.
