I'm planing to save up some eggs from my bantam Ameraucana hen to try to do a Christmas hatch. This will be my first ever hatch and so, a few questions: Is this info right? Keep humidity at 40% until hatch day when it should be pushed up to 60%? I've been told NEVER open the incubator during a hatch so, how long can I leave new chicks in there with the not yet hatched eggs? It will take me apox. 1 week to gather 4-5 eggs from this 1 hen. How do I store the eggs while they wait to go into the incubator? Any other tips/advice? any is appreciated
My year subscription to Daves garden is expiring tomorrow And I won't be able to re-subscribe for another month or so. I will be reading this forum daily and thinking of you all. Merry Christmas and see you all next year :-).
incubation questions
We'll miss you. Come back soon! (Sorry I can't help on the incubator questions.)
Hi,
I don't know anything about incubating, but I am trying to find out. So try this, (while you still have the time!) use the "search forums " they go back quite a while. There is a lot of information there. Good luck!
Have a happy holiday!
Hurry back batflower!
The usual advice is to keep the RH at ~55-60% during the incubation, 70% during the hatch (it will go higher due to the moisture released during the hatch and that is okay).
The chicks should stay in the incubator for at least 24 hours (this is suppose to be the best practice and prevent later health problems). All the eggs usually hatch within 48 hours--and the chicks will be fine for that long...but if you want to, you can quickly take some number out after 24 hours. But do them all at once...the problem comes when you keep opening the incubator to take out chicks. Doing it once is not too bad as long as you keep the RH up. Higher temps, in my experience, hurries the hatch, but some books say that the temp can drop as low as 95 F without harming the hatch (that is only during the hatch...not the incubation)...but you really do not want the RH to drop as it will harden the egg membranes and make it impossible for the chicks to break out (they sort of become "shrink wrapped" and unable to move).
The eggs should be stored small side down in an egg carton and tipped gentley right to left a couple times a day (just prop the carton up on one side, then the other) to prevent the yolk from moving over and causing the embryo to stick to the shell. Higher humidity is best and 55 F. Eggs remain fully viable for at least a week (the time it would take a hen to lay a clutch). After that the viability begins to decline.
thanks catscan! very helpful