THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th.

[ghostwolf]

All my eggs are in and joining in the fun.

 

[Arielle]

My air cells are not really there yet; I'll look again at day 7.

 

[MMB53]

Arielle I will check a few of the cells again tonight, if they are not as big as they should be do you think it would be OK to let the bater dry over night a bit, say down to 35-40% humidity or lower?

I think I will find a good reason to leave work early today

Oh also I candled my Mothers Day hatchers and out of 20 replacement eggs, 10 look like they are developing (1st shipped eggs out of 24, 18 were not fertile). These are the ones I really want to hatch, beautiful variety of Brahmas.

 

[Tripp16]

i need help, i tried incubating 42 eggs, only 18 hatched. i kept the temp at 100 and humidity stays around 40 to 50 degree until lock down and then i raised it to 70%. what am i doing wrong?

Have you ever tried Dry Hatching? I did the same thing you did I did just what the doctor ordered. I got zero chicks. One pip but zero chicks out of 13 $30 eggs!

Then I tried dry hatching! I got a 95% hatch would have had a 100% but some were infertile. I will never go back.

Dry Incubation method and other hatching links. in Eggs to Hatch and Beyond Forum read this! Its what got me started!

 

[Cynthia12]

I am always hearing this worry about the temps and humidity. I found through the years, you just do what ends up being best, >> at your house. In that room. In your state.
For me personally, after having tried all the different things I've heard, said and done, I finally did, what worked best for my bators and where they were.
I don't even use the plugs. I will use one plug during incubation if there are two of them, but they both come out during lock down. Those eggs, embryos, and babies need air.
I don't worry about the humidity that much..keep it around high 30's, to low 40's. If it fluctuates in that area..doesn't seem to be a huge issue. I used to hang over my incubator just watching that humidity..back in the day when they said it had to be around 55% and not much over! Or lower!
Temps. Yep, most important thing during incubation at keeping them where your bator instructions suggest. Dry air is different than forced. I keep my forced air around 99 to 99.7. It's gong to change sometimes, just don't ever want it to get up over 100 in a forced, and over 102 in a still. This again, at my house. If I see that it has gone up to 99.7, I'm watching, I don't want it up to 100.
I try to remember that mama hen gets off of those eggs, walks around for quite a while at times. I think it's good to let the eggs have a rest from humidity all together once in a while too. I'll leave the lid off while I take my time getting water to refill for the humidity.
Lock down. Everyone always worries about the exact time of day the set. What? lol..sorry, but I stopped doing that a long time ago too..too much worry. I lock down the first thing on the morning of day 18. Again, this is me. I have pretty good hatches. I have some bad hatches. I can tell which ones are going to be bad hatches when I candle the eggs 24 hrs. later and can see how the eggs look. Watery? Weepy? Big air sac looking things? Not good signs. I just leave them in there and wait anyway, until I know for sure those aren't doing anything on day 7. Pretty easy to see something by day 7.
Ok, little miss know it all here signing off..lol.. just relax, and enjoy. When you see some babies start developing..that's the most exciting thing ever. Still after years of doing this, it never ceases to amaze me when I see those veins, then the little eyeball, then the body movement and veins moving when it moves. Amazing.
I am going to candle again tonight! Can't wait to see babies in there. I always hope to see a little foot. Too cute!

 

[Arielle]

Arielle I will check a few of the cells again tonight, if they are not as big as they should be do you think it would be OK to let the bater dry over night a bit, say down to 35-40% humidity or lower?

I think I will find a good reason to leave work early today

Oh also I candled my Mothers Day hatchers and out of 20 replacement eggs, 10 look like they are developing (1st shipped eggs out of 24, 18 were not fertile). These are the ones I really want to hatch, beautiful variety of Brahmas.

My incubators often run 19-25% for several days at a time.

 

[Arielle]

x2 what Cynthia said.

I know my incubators and my ambient conditions because I keep an eye on things and keep records.

My LG doesn't behave the same as my homemade Henny Penny. Henny Penny gets better air movement and temps are more stable throughout the holding basket. However, one area is draftier and cooler, so I am sure to move the eggs around so each has an equal opportunity. My LG is spotty on temps, so I definitely move the eggs around, or rotate the lid instead!!! I have the corners marked NE, SE, SW and NW ! LOL I use the red plugs to moderate the temperature and the humidity.

Approaching lockdown I like the plugs to be out, especially if the incubator is full. The eight tiny vents in the top and bottom of my LG are VERY important and should be able to provide enough air though when incubator is loaded to manual specifications. I definitely make sure the LG is set on a surface that is flat and place short blocks under the feet to ensure ventilation.

Temp-+ ventilation+ humidity + candling + turning = hatching

 

[AhyokaAcres]

How do you stand the wait until candling to see if they are good to go, or quitters? The wait on my duck eggs is driving me BATTY, and it's only day 5!

...and to think...I have to go through it all again just three days after the hopeful hatch date when my My Pet Chicken egg assortment comes in

That chicken math....I must be an A+ student by now....

 

[Arielle]

How do you stand the wait until candling to see if they are good to go, or quitters? The wait on my duck eggs is driving me BATTY, and it's only day 5!

...and to think...I have to go through it all again just three days after the hopeful hatch date when my My Pet Chicken egg assortment comes in

That chicken math....I must be an A+ student by now....

A+ for effort !

 

[Tripp16]

I am always hearing this worry about the temps and humidity. I found through the years, you just do what ends up being best, >> at your house. In that room. In your state.
For me personally, after having tried all the different things I've heard, said and done, I finally did, what worked best for my bators and where they were.
I don't even use the plugs. I will use one plug during incubation if there are two of them, but they both come out during lock down. Those eggs, embryos, and babies need air.
I don't worry about the humidity that much..keep it around high 30's, to low 40's. If it fluctuates in that area..doesn't seem to be a huge issue. I used to hang over my incubator just watching that humidity..back in the day when they said it had to be around 55% and not much over! Or lower!
Temps. Yep, most important thing during incubation at keeping them where your bator instructions suggest. Dry air is different than forced. I keep my forced air around 99 to 99.7. It's gong to change sometimes, just don't ever want it to get up over 100 in a forced, and over 102 in a still. This again, at my house. If I see that it has gone up to 99.7, I'm watching, I don't want it up to 100.
I try to remember that mama hen gets off of those eggs, walks around for quite a while at times. I think it's good to let the eggs have a rest from humidity all together once in a while too. I'll leave the lid off while I take my time getting water to refill for the humidity.
Lock down. Everyone always worries about the exact time of day the set. What? lol..sorry, but I stopped doing that a long time ago too..too much worry. I lock down the first thing on the morning of day 18. Again, this is me. I have pretty good hatches. I have some bad hatches. I can tell which ones are going to be bad hatches when I candle the eggs 24 hrs. later and can see how the eggs look. Watery? Weepy? Big air sac looking things? Not good signs. I just leave them in there and wait anyway, until I know for sure those aren't doing anything on day 7. Pretty easy to see something by day 7.
Ok, little miss know it all here signing off..lol.. just relax, and enjoy. When you see some babies start developing..that's the most exciting thing ever. Still after years of doing this, it never ceases to amaze me when I see those veins, then the little eyeball, then the body movement and veins moving when it moves. Amazing.
I am going to candle again tonight! Can't wait to see babies in there. I always hope to see a little foot. Too cute!

I completely agree. My first time of hatching I freaked out every time something would happen! I wouldnt open the incbubator barely to candle!

Then one of my hens went broody and they showed me that it really is not that complicated! LOL They get up and when they feel then need to get back on the eggs they do. They dont have a hygrometer underneath them! They just let the babies do their things. I really like your explanation.