A very soggy hatchalong

[Susan Skylark]

Day 2 of my next great experiment: can you hatch eggs with super high humidity? Six quail eggs, one cheap incubator using the water bottle attachment as directed. 75 percent humidity…yes, that is how this thing is designed to work! We’ll see if it actually does! Next up is a complete dry hatch (save lockdown).

 

[Debbie292d]

75% the whole time isn't going to work. Maybe don't use that bottle right now if you have high humidity and see what you get. Can you pull that out and mop up the water well with paper towels?

 

[Susan Skylark]

The whole point of this is to see if it can work! I've had 90 percent plus hatchability with this thing not using it per factory directions. I want to see if the poor optimistic chick hatchers who buy this thing blind have any hope of success. I like the turner (mostly) and the heat has been very consistent, cleaning is a breeze, but the humidity is ridiculous, so what happens when a neophyte incubator wants to buy it for their kids and pops in eggs per package directions and disaster ensues? I know this is ridiculous and in theory won't work, but what happens in practice? And can I use that knowledge to help others better understand and succeed in their own endeavors. I'm also a hopeless geek, I have to understand things, know why and how. We're on Day 7, air cells are ridiculously tiny, humidity is consistently 80 percent. 2/6 were infertile so we have 4 eggs that seem to be developing normally. My guess is they internally pip (or try to) and that's it, but we'll see what happens!

 

[Susan Skylark]

Day 12 (hatch day 17). All four eggs are developing (except the air cell). On the left is a day 12 egg with the air cell drawn on green, on the right is a random unincubated fridge egg. I’m really curious to see if these poor guys can hatch! And I wonder how many people use these incubators with no clue what they are doing and have a disaster and swear off incubating for good?

 

[Sparky74]

I’m following with interest. A lot of excepted wisdom and "fact" doesn’t necessarily play out in real life. And it’s only through experimentation (either our own or that of others) can our collective knowledge grow.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Green line is air cell day 10, brown is today, day 14 entering lockdown. All eggs are developing well. Hatch should be Friday/Saturday. If they hatch. Humidity solid 80 percent all of hatch, temp and turning stable. Hatching per incubator instructions (fill bottle with water and keep full). Monitoring with 3 external hygrometer/thermometers. No hygrometer on incubator. Very small air cell (as expected, can they hatch?). I’m running 90 percent plus hatch rate on this incubator not using the bottle.

 

[Susan Skylark]

day 16: 3/4 pipped, official hatch day tomorrow. 2 week old chicks think the world is ending as I might actually need their brooder light and shut it off (fully feathered in a heated basement, they’ll be fine!). I’m starting to think quail eggs can survive anything!

 

[LydiaB]

That’s great. Hope they all hatch for you.

 

[chickengr]

 

[Susan Skylark]

Day 17: two out (put in the brooder as they’ll never dry at 90 percent humidity!), other two pipped and cheeping so definitely alive! Starting to think nothing kills quail (except everything!). Glad I won’t have one lonely chick to deal with.