I am not new to the website or reading the forums. I find it quite relaxing to come in here and read the forums, look at coops and chicks and forget the days pressures.
I've made a lot of mistakes in my time. and I learned how to overcome them.
Last hatching season I was not happy at all. I had hatch rates averaging 65% for several hatches.
At the end of the winter I ran into an old man who gave me some advice. He hatched chickens for over 70 years of his life before he finally quit.
I told him about my hatches and how I'd always have a few that did not hatch. They candled out good all the way to hatch day. then nothing. but a dead egg that was slam full of wet baby bird. once in a long while I'd have one to pip open and leak yolk then die.
I went on to tell him about a few articles I have read in dry air hatching and asked his opinion.
He kinda snickered at me and replied " quit drowning your chicks and don't dehydrate them either. " " Don't be in such a confounded hurry to put water back in that thing ( incubator )"
I dwelled on his advice for awhile and all of a sudden I got excited about hatching eggs again.
My First hatch this year I let the incubator fall into the 30% range before adding water back in it.
results--------- 14 out of 16
That Hatch was done in a GQF Hovabator with an egg turner
My Second hatch I let the incubator fall to the high 20's on the Humidity
results ---- 19 out of 20
I bought a Little Giant Still air incubator and moved these to it on the 18th day.
My Third hatch I let it fall to the low 20's
results ------ 19 out of 20
I added a Fan kit to the Little Giant here.
My Forth hatch I let it fall to 18% Humidity between refills
results----- 20 out of 20
I had planned to stop hatching this spring there BUT ( there is always a but )
My brother Brought me 14 green eggs from a friend on the other side of the state. Another friend brought me 10 of his game eggs to hatch. so I gathered up 2 days of eggs and set 15 of my RIR/BR crosses. I'll let you know my birthday how it turns out.
I hope this helps someone along the way.
I've made a lot of mistakes in my time. and I learned how to overcome them.
Last hatching season I was not happy at all. I had hatch rates averaging 65% for several hatches.
At the end of the winter I ran into an old man who gave me some advice. He hatched chickens for over 70 years of his life before he finally quit.
I told him about my hatches and how I'd always have a few that did not hatch. They candled out good all the way to hatch day. then nothing. but a dead egg that was slam full of wet baby bird. once in a long while I'd have one to pip open and leak yolk then die.
I went on to tell him about a few articles I have read in dry air hatching and asked his opinion.
He kinda snickered at me and replied " quit drowning your chicks and don't dehydrate them either. " " Don't be in such a confounded hurry to put water back in that thing ( incubator )"
I dwelled on his advice for awhile and all of a sudden I got excited about hatching eggs again.
My First hatch this year I let the incubator fall into the 30% range before adding water back in it.
results--------- 14 out of 16
That Hatch was done in a GQF Hovabator with an egg turner
My Second hatch I let the incubator fall to the high 20's on the Humidity
results ---- 19 out of 20
I bought a Little Giant Still air incubator and moved these to it on the 18th day.
My Third hatch I let it fall to the low 20's
results ------ 19 out of 20
I added a Fan kit to the Little Giant here.
My Forth hatch I let it fall to 18% Humidity between refills
results----- 20 out of 20
I had planned to stop hatching this spring there BUT ( there is always a but )
My brother Brought me 14 green eggs from a friend on the other side of the state. Another friend brought me 10 of his game eggs to hatch. so I gathered up 2 days of eggs and set 15 of my RIR/BR crosses. I'll let you know my birthday how it turns out.
I hope this helps someone along the way.
