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

[FortCluck]

Sure, I already have notes for over a year. lol

I just think that it would be a really good idea for us to start our own thread with hatch rates and everything so people can get help with hatching.

There are so many who start incubating and lose everything in the bator because they take advice from someone not in the same climate or region as them.

I'd like to get eggs set, eggs in lockdown, eggs hatched, then determine hatch rate... A list of everyone's incubators they use with their general location like state. Humidity you usually run at day 0-18 then day 18-21 or whatever you do for any eggs ducks quail whatever you're hatching at the time. If you are getting egg shipped maybe we can get the name of where they're coming from...

I'll figure it out today and set some stuff up. Probably use my tablet since it's easier

 

[FortCluck]

Incubator variable testing?

Y'all are probably smarter than me at this stuff I like numbers though and learning.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I just think that it would be a really good idea for us to start our own thread with hatch rates and everything so people can get help with hatching.

There are so many who start incubating and lose everything in the bator because they take advice from someone not in the same climate or region as them.

I'd like to get eggs set, eggs in lockdown, eggs hatched, then determine hatch rate... A list of everyone's incubators they use with their general location like state. Humidity you usually run at day 0-18 then day 18-21 or whatever you do for any eggs ducks quail whatever you're hatching at the time. If you are getting egg shipped maybe we can get the name of where they're coming from...

I'll figure it out today and set some stuff up. Probably use my tablet since it's easier

Sounds good! I think it would be nice for everyone to document their actual fertility to hatch percentage and only subtract the infertile eggs and not just lockdown to hatch.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Y'all are probably smarter than me at this stuff I like numbers though and learning.

That's all this is about! Sharing and learning!

 

[Mosey2003]

I just think that it would be a really good idea for us to start our own thread with hatch rates and everything so people can get help with hatching.

There are so many who start incubating and lose everything in the bator because they take advice from someone not in the same climate or region as them.

I'd like to get eggs set, eggs in lockdown, eggs hatched, then determine hatch rate... A list of everyone's incubators they use with their general location like state. Humidity you usually run at day 0-18 then day 18-21 or whatever you do for any eggs ducks quail whatever you're hatching at the time. If you are getting egg shipped maybe we can get the name of where they're coming from...

I'll figure it out today and set some stuff up. Probably use my tablet since it's easier

To me, the issue is often and will continue to be people not truly knowing what humidity their area/house/incubator is. Everyone buys all of these digital hygrometers, and they're just really not that accurate. Oftentimes, not anywhere near. Humidity in incubation isn't as important to be precise about as temperature, but it absolutely does have effects.

For example, I have two GQF HovaBator 1588s. I never, ever believe their digital read out, nor am I going to go through the hassle of recalibrating them. I only rely on my wet and dry bulb readings from two dial thermometers. Currently, one of the 1588s tried to tell me my humidity was 24%, when I actually knew for a fact it was 49%; if I had altered the water content of that incubator it would have risen over 60% quite easily before the digital readout decided it was 50%.

I will participate if you like. I'm running two GQF HovaBator 2370s as incubators and the two 1588s, one as an incubator and the last as a hatcher. All four are forced-air.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

To me, the issue is often and will continue to be people not truly knowing what humidity their area/house/incubator is. Everyone buys all of these digital hygrometers, and they're just really not that accurate. Oftentimes, not anywhere near. Humidity in incubation isn't as important to be precise about as temperature, but it absolutely does have effects.

For example, I have two GQF HovaBator 1588s. I never, ever believe their digital read out, nor am I going to go through the hassle of recalibrating them. I only rely on my wet and dry bulb readings from two dial thermometers. Currently, one of the 1588s tried to tell me my humidity was 24%, when I actually knew for a fact it was 49%; if I had altered the water content of that incubator it would have risen over 60% quite easily before the digital readout decided it was 50%.

I will participate if you like. I'm running two GQF HovaBator 2370s as incubators and the two 1588s, one as an incubator and the last as a hatcher. All four are forced-air.

Yes! You must participate! If it weren't for your guidance when I first started using a Hovabator last year I don't think I would have hatched a single chick! You're the very reason I have a couple meat thermometers to check against all of my digital ones!

 

[julskinka]

Good ideas! Maybe getting the location will help. Then if someone in our area needs advice it's easier.

I'm on the east coast so I truly can't help someone with dry hatching that isn't on the east coast we have a different climate

Even with both of us being on the east coast, it sounds like we have to do different things. I mean, where I live it's just wet all the time fall-spring (NJ is basically a swamp, don't let anyone tell you differently), but my house is still insanely dry from my air system. So that's probably another thing to keep in mind? Ambient humidity?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I'm on day 20 so I went ahead and checked the air cell size without actually picking the eggs up and Crackles my cracked egg that was repaired with wax still has an extremely small air cell even though I waited until today to increase humidity. The rest are large and drawing down for hatch so I'm going for humidity for the many instead of the one but I'll be SO sad if this little one doesn't make it since I was really hoping this would change my outlook for undesirable hatching eggs. Well, we will find out soon enough!

I wonder if the wax was preventing gas exchange?

I was thinking the same thing. The wax impaired the ability of the egg to breath properly. I'll have to go check out the thread for pics but I remember it being a lot of wax.

But hopefully it hatches! If it doesn't at least it had a shot.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Even with both of us being on the east coast, it sounds like we have to do different things. I mean, where I live it's just wet all the time fall-spring (NJ is basically a swamp, don't let anyone tell you differently), but my house is still insanely dry from my air system. So that's probably another thing to keep in mind? Ambient humidity?

Yep, same here. I probably have higher humidity than most people being in south east Georgia but the central air is always cranking and drying my house out.

 

[FortCluck]

Even with both of us being on the east coast, it sounds like we have to do different things. I mean, where I live it's just wet all the time fall-spring (NJ is basically a swamp, don't let anyone tell you differently), but my house is still insanely dry from my air system. So that's probably another thing to keep in mind? Ambient humidity?

I have central air so I'm unsure why my humidity can stay at 18% and everything goes perfect I mean even with the ducklings