Silky hatch-along and OdoBan on eggs experiment

[fluffycrow]

I don't set eggs over 8 days old. I know a hen can set on eggs older that 8 days and get a good hatch but it seems rare for them to hatch well using and incubator. If I need to have more eggs I'll split the hatch. Set some at 7 days and 7 days later finish filling the incubator. Chicks a week apart integrate well for me.

How do the eggs on day 14 handle the humidity of lockdown needed for the eggs on day 21?

 

[LTAY1946]

How do the eggs on day 14 handle the humidity of lockdown needed for the eggs on day 21?

I use a second and even third incubator as a hatcher so I can have split hatches and humidity is no longer a concern for any stage of the hatch.

 

[LTAY1946]

How do the eggs on day 14 handle the humidity of lockdown needed for the eggs on day 21?

I didn't lock down my silkie eggs until day 18 and they hatched. I think the next time I have silkie eggs I'll lockdown on day 17.

 

[fluffycrow]

I use a second and even third incubator as a hatcher so I can have split hatches and humidity is no longer a concern for any stage of the hatch.

I see. Well, that just helps things . Yeah, not getting a second incubator

 

[Debbie292d]

I use a second and even third incubator as a hatcher so I can have split hatches and humidity is no longer a concern for any stage of the hatch.

This is what I did last summer too. I had three different batches going at once in the Brinsea, and when one was to be locked down, I moved those eggs to the NR360. I don't know if I'll get to that point this summer or not.

 

[fluffycrow]

I didn't lock down my silkie eggs until day 18 and they hatched. I think the next time I have silkie eggs I'll lockdown on day 17.

In my first (and only, to date) incubator hatch, one egg pipped as I was putting them to lockdown. So they can definitely hatch before lockdown, there's just an extra of them getting stuck

 

[LTAY1946]

In my first (and only, to date) incubator hatch, one egg pipped as I was putting them to lockdown. So they can definitely hatch before lockdown, there's just an extra of them getting stuck

I try and keep my first 17-18 days at a humidity level of 55% and then up it to 75% in lockdown.

 

[fluffycrow]

I try and keep my first 17-18 days at a humidity level of 55% and then up it to 75% in lockdown.

I think I did something similar. Need to check to make sure, however

 

[LTAY1946]

I felt like the Hovabators that I use are cheap enough I could use the extras as hatchers. Ideally if there was a need I can set 41 eggs a week with 4 Hovabators and never need to clean the one used for the first non lockdown days.

 

[LTAY1946]

All eggs going in this time will get an OdoBan dunking. Most of the eggs are very clean but three or four will get a gentle wipe with OdoBan water and then all dunked for a minute. I am going to see about some local Silkie eggs tomorrow and I will feel better if they are dunked.