part 3 on incubator tidbits. I am a fan of dry hatches. For those that dont know what dry hatching is I will try and explain. When you incubate most people add water to bring the humidity up to 35 - 45%, I do not. I keep mine at about 20%, I add only enough water maybe a teaspoon or tablespoon, just to maintain it. I only have to add in the winter as I have a forced hot furnace and yes it gets dry in here. During the summer there is enough moisture in the air to maintain 20% or 35%. I check the temps every 3 or 4 days, Call my incubators set and forget. I am one to candle my eggs about 7 days, I want the ones that are not developing out there, I want room for more eggs,LOL. I candle again day 17 so I can pull any that did not develope or quit, or have a blood ring. Day 18 I move the eggs out to the hatching incubator. The hatching incubator is a still air Little Giant. I use rubber shelf liner over the wire so they do not get there little toes caught in the wire. I place a container of water with a clean sponge to act as a wick in the back corner to raise the humidity up to 60%. Sometimes I even use 2 of them. I find it easier to do this than try to keep the bottom with all the required water. Now for the fun. the waiting, it is checking the hatcher every hour or so looking for the tell tale sign of new life, the PIP, once you see it you run through the house yelling I got a pip several times. You watch for progress, it seems like it takes forever. After 8 hours i check the egg by picking it up and tapping on it with my fingernail to make sure it is alive, if it is you will hear chirping, I then put it back. I will wait for 24 hours then if need be I help, I will begin peeling some of the shell, if I see blood it goes back in. I want them to hatch on their own because it streghtens their legs. But if left too long it will deform them. I have heard to many times do not open the hatcher. I do not follow that law. I will open and remove 4 chicks or more if they are dried most of the way, they can finish drying in the brooder. I give them a drink of water only for the first 24 hours. I sprinkle some starter on the paper towels so they dont need to move from the heat. My hatches run from 95% to 98% although I have had 100% hatches. I must be doing something right. As for those who say I am doing it wrong, oh well, I have always been a non conformist and like it tht way, I will continue to march to a different drum.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 23:19:12 +0000