Want to have better success this go around

[dustponds10]

Well I am going to have a few eggs ready here in a few days and I am getting ready to put them in lock down in a couple days and some how i really messed up something and only got 2 out of 12. So any ways I am going to be needing any help you can all give me. I know humidity 50-60 and temp stays the same. I have had better success hatching the eggs in turner trays believe it or not. i hatched one turkey from 4 that were developeing and 2 peacocks out of 4 eggs. So better odds with harder birds then chickens. So all and any advice would for sure be appericated. From the beginning if you dont mind. Oh i am incubating them in a hova-bator styrofoam.

 

[chickee]

I just put eggs in my Genesis 1588 with auto egg turner on the 16th. My previous bad hatches seem to be due to high humidity (your humidity has been too high) and the chicks being too large to turn and zip at hatch. I would recommend using the dry hatch method (40% humidity) posted here on BYC. I also use an Exo Terra brand reptile hygrometer that I bought at my local pet store and it has been highly accurate! I use a digital oral thermometer, press the on button and put it in the top vent hole to take my temps and get an accurate reading within + or - 1/10 of a degree. My temps average 100 degrees (1588 has factory pre-set temps) and my chicks always hatch on day 21. My incubator has the fan which keeps the temps steady throughout the incubator so this method works for me. If your incubator is a still air it won't work. I have kept a diary of each hatch, detailing temps, humidity, how much water I added, when chicks hatched, how far appart, etc. It is really helpful to look back on. It is best to only candle your eggs 3 times, on day 7 and 14 to look for and discard quitters so they don't explode, and day 18 before lockdown to get rid of any late quitters. This way you don't let out the humidity by opening your incubator too much. I use a Cool Lume high intensity egg candler and candle the eggs right in the turner so I don't have to handle them. I hatch my eggs in egg cartons with holes cut in the bottoms of the cups and it has worked well for me. Lastly, during the lockdown period and hatch, do not open your incubator. Wait until all the chicks have hatched. And don't help the chicks hatch unless it is a last resort! Helping usually does more harm than good!! Hope this helps!
GOOD LUCK!

 

[dustponds10]

awesome thanks for the step by step. I will lower my humidity and check out what happens with the success. I appericate it a ton.

 

[chickee]

Quote:
Your Welcome

Happy Hatching!