Winter incubation set, anyone else!!

[KYTinpusher]

I set 19 eggs yesterday - 11 Easter Eggers, 4 Olive Eggers, and 4 Barred Rock.

Best Wishes to all for a successful hatch!

 

[sunnyllama]

I set 42 eggs yesterday as well! I have a surprise hatch on my hands, several mutts and a few project eggs. I would love to join the post, it wasnt so long ago that it was my first hatch...memories :,) I remember getting to day 21 with no pips yet and I couldnt hear the infamous chirping that everyone talked about, I was convinced they had all died! They didnt, when my new chicks came it was the best

 

[Bigfamily4me]

I love hearing about others first hatches! I am such a mother at heart, that now my hubby says 5 sons is it.... I'm going to mother chickens I guess! I am of course nervous because I just keep hearing how HARD it is to incubate eggs successfully! I know I'll be crushed if it doesn't work out....

 

[Tracy the chick]

Quote:
Where is that thread?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

Here it is. Ive used it every day lol...

 

[DMRippy]

Can I join? I just set 48 eggs yesterday after putting 18 in lockdown. I have 20+ going into lockdown next Saturday and I have 18 more coming next week

I need support

Clearly the time of year has not effected my hatching. I think this is the best time to hatch.... they will be laying in the spring

the weather is pretty mild here most of the time. But by March it should be nice and I can get them outside.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
5 boys

I have three 24, almost 3, and 1. I have 3 granddaughters too.

It is really not that hard to hatch, you just have to keep an eye on the incubator if it is working correctly and you have good fertile eggs you will have a good hatch

 

[aaggjg]

I set 17 silkie eggs last night! This is my first time and I can tell I'm already not going to be able to control the urge to add more eggs.... Need to make a hatcher perhaps.. Hmmm

I do have a question I bought hygrometer and calibrated it ... The humidity was reading 3% low ..... Is there a way to Check that the temperatures accurate? It's seemed to be pretty good for the first few days, saying that my bator was at 100.3 ish. The internal thermometer says 100ish so all good BUT now all of a sudden the hygrometer is reading the temp as 98.5, yet the other internal thermometer still says 100. Don't know why all of a sudden its on the fritz... It's 5 days old....

. Any suggestions?

 

[Bigfamily4me]

May be I'm confused but I thought the hygrometer is reading only the humidity. So 98.5 would be the percentage of humidity, not temp. I got a digital thermometer and hygrometer combo. My left side reading will say 99.4 and the right side says 44%. I have so much to learn, but this seems like a great place to do it!

 

[CupOJoe42]

My thermometer/hygrometers (I have 2 in the bator) don't have decimal places for temp, so I am going to try to keep the temp at 100 degrees F, correct???

What is everyone keeping their humidity at? This bator has forced air, so I figure anywhere between 30-45% is good for the first 18 days - is that okay?

This is my first hatch ever!

 

[sunnyllama]

Oh...the age old humidity question. There are many schools of thought on this, after much reading, I am trying a very low humidity this time until lockdown. Most say this is the best way but I dont know what the best thing is. My other hatches were at about 50% humidity until lockdown and I had a success rate of about 85%. I am going to try this method and see if I can improve my hatch rate. Currently it is anywhere between 20-40% humidity.