Got my bator, some questions.

[NancyDz]

Quote:
Yes dave, you'll need to and it's okay just try to minimize the time it's off. Also the last 3 days during the hatch you don't want to take it off at all if you don't have to . I rigged up some aquarium tubing through one of the small holes so I could add water and leave the top on. The hardest thing at the end will be keeping the humidity level up. I add new sponges to mine underneat the wire , one on each side so as not to interfere with water reservoirs . Sometimes i add them when I start , and then wet them if I need more humidity but definitely have them in there for the last 3 days and soak them.

But get your temp stabilized overnight, then add your eggs tomorrow. The slightest adjustment to your temp guage can change it 3-4 degrees if you arent careful so get it stabilized
before the eggs go in.


Good luck! I'm setting some eggs tomorrow night/sat morning so we'll be on the same schedule if they are chicken eggs!

Nancy

 

[NancyDz]

I have an auto turner but if you don't I'd use the carton method ( lots of threads here on it) and just raise the ends of the cartons so you dont have to handle each egg and it also minimizes the time you have the bator open.

I think it is 3X a day....

 

[dave_Cash69]

yes, i am hatching chicken eggs also

 

[dave_Cash69]

my temprature is holding steady at 99.1..
the humidity is 61% though..
should i go ahead and place the eggs inside? or wait?

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I would still wait til morning, Dave, it won't hurt the eggs to sit even for five days or so before putting them in, but by tomorrow morning it ought to be fine.

Maybe empty one of the reservoirs for the water - to get the humidity down a bit.

(you can just wick it out with some paper towel).

meri

 

[dave_Cash69]

okay, meri. is it gonna hurt the eggs and theyre temps when i raise the top off to turn the eggs, add water , etc?

 

[dave_Cash69]

Mojo Chick'n :

Quote:
I would still wait til morning, Dave, it won't hurt the eggs to sit even for five days or so before putting them in, but by tomorrow morning it ought to be fine.

Maybe empty one of the reservoirs for the water - to get the humidity down a bit.

(you can just wick it out with some paper towel).

meri

how to wick it out? wire covers it.​

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Oh, also....

My first few hatches were pretty poor - it took me awhile to get used to hatching (figure out what works and what doesn't.)

Don't worry if your first couple of hatches you only get a few to actually hatch, it's a learning curve - take notes and you'll figure out what to do or not do next time. My first batch I had about 12 hatch out of 40 eggs

I average about 50% hatch right now, but I think it's because it's still cold out and the humidity keeps going weird on me sometimes.

This last hatch I had 12 out of 22 hatch - so it's getting better. I tried some oddball stuff, had smaller hatches, I'm working things out. Every place someone hatches will be different, so what works for someone in Pennsylvania or Florida might not work here in KY.

Also, if your house has high humidity, you won't need as much water in the bator - if you run a wood stove then the house is probably more dry than if you run a furnace.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I would still wait til morning, Dave, it won't hurt the eggs to sit even for five days or so before putting them in, but by tomorrow morning it ought to be fine.

Maybe empty one of the reservoirs for the water - to get the humidity down a bit.

(you can just wick it out with some paper towel).

meri

how to wick it out? wire covers it.

Lift the wire out (before ya put eggs in) or if it needs to be wicked out after the eggs are in, you'll have to be very careful to move them and wick it out - that's why it's easier to get it set before putting the eggs in - and why a lot of people use the tubing to add more in, if they need to (so they don't have to move the eggs too much or open the bator.)

Personally, I don't use the reservoirs in the bottom of the bator - I put sponges on top of the wire. That way I can grab them and soak em when I need to, and it won't cause too much heat loss from playing with the wire. Every time I use the reservoirs I end up spilling the water and it goes out the bottom holes all over the table

 

[dave_Cash69]

besides sponges, what else will work?