OK, the incubator has been plugged in for about 28 hours. Right now, the temp is holding at 37 Celcius and the humidity is staying around 60% but at one point was up at 75% so I took some of the water out... what should I try to keep the humidity at? It's really humid here now, and I know the humidity in the air is going to affect the humidity in the bator...
I want to put the eggs in tomorrow for a Memorial Weekend Hatch... I'm excited, the kids are were trying to get me to put them in tonight, but I want to make sure the temp continues to hold where it is now... so I'm refraining, but oh it's so hard!
Here I go!!
Sounds excellent to me, humidity should be around 50-55, 37c should be right on. I wish you great hatching, and hope the children have a blast. Haystack
I read something from the University of MN that said the humidity level wasn't that important, on the high end, of course it is on the low end??
If the humidity is too high during incubation, the air pocket won't be big enough at hatch time.
Also, if the humidity is too high, the chick gets too big and when it absorbs the yolk sack, it dies. I've opened several eggs (after the hatch) to find that were that way... The chick was huge, and the yolk sack makes their belly so big it squashes their head.
It's okay for the Rh to go high for a while.. it usually will level out in time.
Sounds like you're ready to go! I'm happy for ya! There is nothing like it.. new lil fluff balls.. :)
the humidity is running between 40 and 50 now, is that too high?
they're in there... they've been turned twice already. :)
That is where mine sits.. and it's fine. I increase it on day 18 and stop turning.
I've been reading for weeks, and somewhere I saw something about adding a computer fan for circulation.... not sure how to do that.
I've also been reading about dry hatches? Someone said they don't have much humidity in the incubator until they are ready to hatch. It's so confusing to read so much different stuff. I just don't want to kill any of my future babies!!
I had too many eggs to use the egg turner, so I'm turning by hand, and scared I'm going to jar them around too much when I turn them. I'm a nervous wreck! LOL
You'll do great, Melissa. Just be as methodical as you have been. The hardest thing is letting them hatch in their own time. And you have 19 days to practise patience....lol.
how soon can I candle them? LOL
I think 1 week. I try to wait longer...try being the operative word...lol
What kind of incubator do you have Melissa?
You don't need to change anything yet.. when you are not incubating eggs.. then you can make modifications.. IF you need to. There is a lot of info out there, and it can get mind boggling. You will, in time, adopt your own ways of doing things..
I have the Hobavator 1602N ZZ. At least I think that's the number. LOL I was going to make one, then decided I could buy one about as cheap, and much easier... I think I gave 55.00 for the incubator, turner and shipping but so far it's doing a really good job of holding the heat and humidity.
Good deal.. if it's holding constant temp, even with hand turning.. you are fine..
You can't stare a hole in the eggs... I've tried. No matter how many hours you stare at them.. you can't see through the shell. LOL You can talk to them though.. and you wait and see how they recognize your voice when they pop out.. Really!
seriously?
Oh, that is too cool!~
when we did our very first batch, we kept them in the house for probably too long... when we took them to the barn, they were scared to death, so we put a radio in there with them, for the noise, and it calmed them. But now, we think when there are too many commercials on, they jump up on the radio and turn it off. At least that's our explanation for why when we go to the barn the radio has been turned off. ;)
question from you hand turners... how many times a day should I be turning? I'm worried about losing heat.....
Minimum is three times a day, spaced out as evenly as possible so they don't sit in one position for too long over night. They say to always go for an odd number, 3, 5, or 7--again so they aren't in the same position night after night. A hen will move them many times a day--and more than three turns may be better--but it is not necessary for a good hatch.
I have read that it is good to be especially careful the first few days as the initial delicate veins are developing. You don't want to jar them more than necessary.
thanks catscan, that's what I read, but I wanted to be sure. I read about them being delicate the first few days too... I'm just a total worry wort.
You'll do great!
I just found this. Interesting, because everything I read said if you find a crack, pitch it. I think I'll keep the Elmer's handy, just in case. LOL :)
http://gouldianfinch.info/breeding/eggs.htm
Wow, that is very interesting and should probably go in the reference "Sticky" even though it is about finches and not poultry. So much is still relevent.
I have patched slightly cracked eggs with damp tissue paper and had them develop normally. The Elmer's glue sounds even better.
I thought it was relevant too, even though it wasn't about chickens. :) If it works for finches, why not chickens? LOL
Hi Melissa! Your getting great advice from Catscan and ZZ's. To many voices tend to muddle the waters.
We, that is all the rest of us are excited for you and awaite the final hatch with great anticipation. Sounds a little like an expectant mommy there. LOL Haystack
I feel like an expectant mommy.... I want to candle them so bad, but know I won't see anything yet. :(
Sorry, but I just got a visual of some poor expectant mommy holed up in a closet with a mag light to her tum......giggling madly here........
LOL that's a pretty accurate visual! LOL Just not my tummy I'm trying to mag lite!
You could candle today.. it's not gonna hurt.. I've seen veins at 3 days! Go ahead.. just be quick with opening the lid.
I candle without taking them out.. Just a quick mag light shining through just to check for veins...
Then at least you will get an idea of what it looks like!
WOOOHOOO! How eggciting. The countdown has began. Day 7 is the fun stage to candle. We saw the little tiny baby swimming in the egg. So now I have a chicken named swimmy. Kids are so literal. :)
Udate? Inquiring minds want to know! Did you see anything? Have you candled? :)
Melissa this is no time to ignore us!!! Have you candled??? Melissa, Melissa!! are you there.
I gonna have to beat that woman. We will not be denied M e l i s s a. Hay
LOL, sorry guys. I'm the Drama Club advisor at my school, and our play opened last night, I have to leave here in a few for tonight's performance.
Yes, I have candled, but I can only see in the white eggs that I put in from our own hens a few days after the original ones I put in. In the white eggs, I see movement and a heartbeat. In the dark eggs, some I can see veins in, and others are just too dark to see anything. Last night in one of the white ones, we could make out the embryo and could see a beak forming... my temperature is a consistent 39 Celsius and staying right around 30% humidity. When I take the lid off to turn them, the temp drops to 38.
I'm going to have to have major advice when day 18 gets here! :)
Drama Club Advisor? That sounds like a good title for my job.. LOL I manage a mobile home park.. !!
Sounds like your doin great! I'd up the humidity a tad... if you see veins, you have babiez in there!
I'm so happy for you.. it's exciting huh?
When I hatch, I use the bottoms of egg cartons.. I usually cut the sides down so they are not so "deep" so the chicks can get out easily. They will still hatch if you don't use cartons, but it's less stressful when the eggs aren't getting rolled all over.. That would drive me insane. LOL
On day 18 you just try to get the humidity up and no more turning.. it's easy.. the hard part is leaving the top on till day 21.
ZZ Believe me, DRAMA club advisor definitely fits. I had two different groups of kids, and they can't stand each other, constantly bickering and snipping at the others... it's been a LONG 3 months of practicing. One girl was a know it all and argued with me constantly. IF I had had someone to take her place I'd have kicked her out.... but unfortunately at our school Drama is not high on the list of things the kids want to do,( as far as acting) so my choices were limited. I finally got to the point that I called them all together and told them they didn't have to like each other, and I didn't care if they did or not.... but ACT like they do. I'm GLAD it's over.
Should I worry about exploding eggs? I don't know how to tell on the really dark ones if there is anything there or not.... would a candling light show better than my LED flashlight?
I just checked one of the lighter brown eggs again, and I have a dancing chick in there!! I can't see much in the dark shells, but I did see that one!
Humidity is 35% do I want it higher than that?
What a good end to the day!
LOL I'm a drama dodger... I try to hide.. :)
If it were my bator, I'd try to keep the humidity in the 45 to 50 range... for me, that is working pretty well.
K, I'll up it a little, or try to.
And here is embryo video... LOL I couldn't resist. Turn your sound down, I sound like an idiot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muHw4KmkKIQ
Awesome!!! Dancing chicks!!! Just what I wanted to hear. wooohooo.
Doing my happy dance for Melissa.
It won't load for me.. dang it..
I wonder why ZZ?
I got it this time! Amazing video! Wow! Lil worm stage.. LOL Thank you for sharing that.. it was just tooo cool.