Still air incubator help

[SGTdebo305]

Are you able to post a pic of your set up? I only have to fill all the wells at hatch.. so I am wondering if your humidity sensor is accurate. What day are you on now? Have you candled yet?

One reason there are so many differing suggestions is due to possibly old information or simply preference. White eggs can take more humidity during incubation than brown eggs because white eggs don't have the extra color coating that brown do which inhibits evaporation.. in comparison.

Keep track of what you decide and then pay attention at hatch.. it can tell you if you were to moist or too dry. A WIDE range of humidity will still net lots of hatching. But temperature is really not negotiable. One of your thermometers is inaccurate according to my experience... NO way, in still air incubator should floor temp be the same as it is hovering above the eggs. Now this could be the floor one touching say the metal grate and catching it's surface temp instead of the air temp or something to that effect. Whether you use a turner or not is irrelevant to temp. And honestly I got some of my best hatches using a still air bator with no turner! But 102 is correct for no fan.

What happens if you lay your secondary one on top of the eggs, after about a half hour? Is your second gauge digital or analog? Does your secondary one also measure humidity or how are you gauging that?

I personally don't measure air cells any more... as I often can't see through the eggs. Weighing them is another option. I don't do that anymore either... with enough experience in my location and such... I simply set my parameters and hatch away! Sometimes getting 100%.

Sounds like you are doing your best! Paying attention and learning as ya go. All the suggestions in the world won't make up for your personal experience which is the mother of all teachers.

Hope ya saw some veins!

Thank you, yes your defenetly right personal experience is defenetly the best, here are some pics of my set up as you can see the sensor hanging above the eggs. I did candle on day 7 day gains and the small black spot/embryo I am on day 13 right now.

 

[SGTdebo305]

humidity really depends on what your local humidity is. I live on the coast so it's always humid here I run mine dry for the first 18 days. it's all based on your aircell size today being day 7 your air cells should be close to the day 7 line. if it's too small drop your humidity if it's too big raise it.

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It's fine to take them out, just be gentle with them. Broody hens will get up off their eggs for about an hour every day to eat, drink and relieve themselves. The shot temp difference won't hurt them.

Hey so I just candled the eggs and I am on day 14 and the air cell looks like day 7 so I need to lower the water lvl in there?

 

[chickens really]

Hey so I just candled the eggs and I am on day 14 and the air cell looks like day 7 so I need to lower the water lvl in there?

Definitely humidity needs to be lowered or the Chicks will drown with out a proper air cell.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Hey so I just candled the eggs and I am on day 14 and the air cell looks like day 7 so I need to lower the water lvl in there?

Yes. Get the water out of there what have you been running at so far?

 

[SGTdebo305]

Yes. Get the water out of there what have you been running at so far?

I’ve had it at 50-65% right now it shows 45% I’m not sure if it’s right because I had just added water 2 days ago

 

[SGTdebo305]

Definitely humidity needs to be lowered or the Chicks will drown with out a proper air cell.

Defenetly don’t want that

 

[SGTdebo305]

Yes. Get the water out of there what have you been running at so far?

So I’m suppose to raise humidity at day 18 to 21 right, but with this problem should I not do that?

 

[Rose Quartz]

So I’m suppose to raise humidity at day 18 to 21 right, but with this problem should I not do that?

I would drop it as low as you can now and check them again on day 18. If the air cells are still smaller than they should be, i'd keep it low for maybe another day but you have to watch them close if you do that. And put it up to at least 65% on day 19 regardless hatching humidity is important.

 

[chickens really]

Lower the humidity a few days till the air cells get bigger. Then back up to 50% till lockdown.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I’ve had it at 50-65% right now it shows 45% I’m not sure if it’s right because I had just added water 2 days ago

I run all my incubation at 35-45% through day 18. Going all the way down to about 15% sometimes for my Marans eggs. And raise to 65% by the end of day 18.

Part of the reason the air cell needs to be larger is it helps regulate the embryo growth so it can still turn to get into position.

For future reference... 65% is WAY too high during the first 18 days. Please remember it is surface area of the water and not how deep it is that effects humidity,

Time's flying!