Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[gmjarvi]

Use a candling guide to mark your air cells. If they look too small then lower humidity and too big you increase it.

@Kizmet you can also weigh them if you have a kitchen scale. A chicken egg should lose about 13% of its weight in the first 18 days of incubation. Of course, this only works if you weighed the eggs before you started incubation.

If an egg has lost too much weight too quickly then humidity should be increased so the egg doesn't evaporate as much moisture from within. If an egg is not losing enough, then humidity should be decreased so that the egg can lose more moisture.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I think that eggs are designed to create the environment that they need from beginning to end. I think us humans tend to

Hi all!

I’m on day 9 of my first incubation. I’m concerned about my humidity, for the first week it’s been between 50-60% and I’ve now lowered it to 35-40%. Everyone I ask says something different and I don’t want to drown my chicks. ☹ Should I keep it at 35-40 or go lower? Will that first week with being a bit high impact the chicks? Thanks

I find that giving another person an exact humidity number to run during incubation is difficult because no 2 places (even in the same house) will run the same humidity and hatch chicks perfectly. That being said instead of getting overwhelmed by hitting a humidity percent watch your air cells.

this is not my image but by far my favorite to use for comparing air cells. I think someone might have already mentioned to adjust humidity based on air cell. This pic helped me see what I needed them to look like. In my area adding no water to the bator causes dried out dead embryos because they lose too much moisture.
Listen to your eggs and adjust accordingly

 

[igorsMistress]

Use a candling guide to mark your air cells. If they look too small then lower humidity and too big you increase it.

@Kizmet weighing will be ok next time but since you didn't have their original weights, here's a guide.

 

[gmjarvi]

The master plan...

Keep all of the hens for eggs and sell the roos that don’t quite fit my liking for the breed. Breed certain ones for their qualities later on by separating them. We have a lot of different breeds now.

I think my master plan is to start small breeding programs for the breeds I love. Do not tell my husband! I have hinted at it before and he was like you absolutely do not need to be breeding fancy chickens . But when I told him some of the more popular, highly sought after breeds can go for $30 a chick he was a bit more intrigued.

There are tons of 4H kids here, but no reputable breeders. I know some of them breed their own chickens, but a lot of them travel to buy their show chickens, too. The closest quality breeder is nearly 2 hrs away one way, and she is closing up shop after this season.

 

[two j farm]

Good morning! I candled this morning all 4 duck eggs are alive and moving well. 20 chicken eggs are still alive, I removed 5 that was clear and I have 2 I think may be quitters.

 

[hysop]

I removed all the water from my incubator a day or two ago. The built in hygrometer is reading 49% no matter when it had tons of water or now. But the one I bought that has been somewhat accurate is reading in the 20s. Is that good or should it be closer to the 30s for it to be a healthy dry incubation? My humidity was high for the first 11 days and air cells are a bit small even today at day 13.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

I removed all the water from my incubator a day or two ago. The built in hygrometer is reading 49% no matter when it had tons of water or now. But the one I bought that has been somewhat accurate is reading in the 20s. Is that good or should it be closer to the 30s for it to be a healthy dry incubation? My humidity was high for the first 11 days and air cells are a bit small even today at day 13.

If the air cells are still too small for the day they’re at, I would keep the humidity on the lower side and check in a few days. Adjust as necessary.

 

[FortCluck]

I removed all the water from my incubator a day or two ago. The built in hygrometer is reading 49% no matter when it had tons of water or now. But the one I bought that has been somewhat accurate is reading in the 20s. Is that good or should it be closer to the 30s for it to be a healthy dry incubation? My humidity was high for the first 11 days and air cells are a bit small even today at day 13.

I would leave all the water out for a few days and keep it in the 20s So that the air cells can correct themselves.

 

[FortCluck]

I am feeling like this one may have a hard time hatching anyway because of where the air cell is? Interestingly it is the only faverolles egg where there wasn't any movement. But they have to rest sometimes, right?

I'd recheck it in a few days and see if there's movement

 

[igorsMistress]

I removed all the water from my incubator a day or two ago. The built in hygrometer is reading 49% no matter when it had tons of water or now. But the one I bought that has been somewhat accurate is reading in the 20s. Is that good or should it be closer to the 30s for it to be a healthy dry incubation? My humidity was high for the first 11 days and air cells are a bit small even today at day 13.

I would keep it low and monitor the air cells until lockdown.

The thing about humidity is that we all do things differently as far as heat or a/c usage in our homes and the humidity in the environment in which we live plays a role; also the porosity of the eggs comes into play. There is no set percentage or method that works well for everyone all the time. Good luck!