What is the best humidity levels to hatch chicken eggs?
1044304
It varies at the different stages of incubation. You would be wise to go to any store and pick up a digital temp/humidity gauge and place it next to your unit, as the room humidity level also can affect the humidity in your unit. Also purchase or visit your library for: Damerow's "Hatching and Brooding your own chicks". This is a great reference for the entire process including trouble shooting.
1626205
This advice is probably a little late for you, but here it is for next time. Here are 2 things to keep in mind. (1) It really is important to run the incubator for 2 to 3 days before setting the fertilized eggs in it. Keep a careful record of the temperature for that time and interact with the temperature setting knob until the incubator keeps the the internal temperature to plus or minus 1 degree of the desired temperature (which is dependent on what species of bird you are trying to hatch). If you are unable to keep the internal temperature within the desired range, and you are keeping the incubator in a draft-free place with an ambient temperature of 60 to 80 degrees F, then there is a good chance that the thermostat of the incubator could be faulty. (2) Try starting the temperature stabilization process with the thermostat knob at the mid-point of the scale. If the temperature just keeps rising and never stabilizes, then your unit almost certainly has a thermostat or other problem. I would then return it the the manufacturer for repair. When I got my incubator, it came with an inexpensive red fluid thermometer. I wanted more accuracy than it could provide, so I purchased 2 additional digital thermometers. They cost about US$15.00 (on Amazon, I think) each and one of them even had a humidity indicator on it. Humidity is as important as temperature when hatching poultry. The picture published of you incubator looks as though yours does not have an internal fan. If yours can be retrofitted with a fan, you would be able to maintain a more even internal temperature in a properly working incubator. I hope this helps you and good hatching!
1125704
not the best idea, but you can just save the 10 eggs you have until you have all you intend to set, you can store hatching eggs up to about a month just keep them in an area with stable temp
436381
I had the same concern. I just made sure I was efficient at it. I had 42 eggs in mine. After a few times I was able to turn them in 45 seconds lid off to lid on. The temp drops for a few minutes but not enuf, long enuf to matter. I had a low hatch rate but only because I had quite a few eggs that were either unfertilized or died before I put them in the incubator. All the eggs that started growing hatched just fine. Plan to do the same thing this spring. Only thing I'll change is how I collect and store the eggs until I am ready to start.
977039
I have hatched out 2 sets off chicken eggs and a duck egg out in mine already this spring very high hatch rate. Very happy with mine holds temp and humidity awesome only complaint is the light not working after about the first week
723242
Not sure, but the humidity it gives off was more than enough to hatch duck eggs. I would say no. The unit is self contained and not much room for any additions. There was barely enough room inside to fit the mini hygrometer and that had to be temp rested on The eggs themselves.
1207958
I live in Scottsdale and was able to successfully hatch 3 pods. 2 were hatched directly outdoors hanging from a covershade above my garden and 1 was hatched indoors by a window.
1668497
I'm sorry, I do not know. I have not yet been in a high humidity situation since purchasing them.
1972997
Temperature is done with headlamps. Humidity can be done by misting the cage several times a day or use a reptile fog machine.
1692302
We don't use it for hatching eggs because the heat is not regulated properly. Maybe that has been corrected by now; I don't know. We tried one several years ago and the heating was too irregular to hatch eggs. Nancy Laird RN
603976
I think my chickens didn't like the plastic under their feet, so I took out the straw and put in a layer of pine shavings then put the straw back on top. That seemed to do the trick. Also, hens greatly reduce the number of eggs they lay this time of year anyway because of the decrease in daylight hours. They need 14-15 hours of daylight to lay eggs.
1332179
I am a bit of a Newbie too. I will ask my friend who has been helping me and answer again if he says different. I am not familiar with a hatch pad but there is not much room between the screen and the egg turner. You can remove the turner and just turn by hand to make more room. Also I don't know if the hatch pad is porous or if it would block or interfere with the humidity from below. None of my chicks got caught in the screen. A few got stuck on their backs in the egg turners. My biggest concern is that the heater coil on the lid can create a nasty burn. My friend burned his hand on it. Not much feathers on the little chicks just hatched and all wet! It never turned out to be a problem tho.
476707
I have successfully raised 36 baby Leopards using this product. You will need to place the eggs in a container containing vermiculite, eggs about halfway covered. Soak the foam pad in warm water and wring out a bit. Keep humidity above 70 percent by adding water to foam and by misting the eggs lightly every day. Keep heat at around 87 degrees or so.
2277678
I'm growing seedlings which I have in a clear storage container with a top. I also have grow bulbs suspended over the container. A thermometer inside reads between 75 to 80 degrees which is perfect with me. This is achived with the pad along with no thermostat. The storage container cost me $8 at Walmart and makes a great humidity dome.
2203512
I did a little research and found this website http://en.allexperts.com/q/Food-Safety-Issues-767/2009/5/air-tight-egg-storage.htmI think this will answer your question.
2145066
You need air for mold to grow. Sealing air out will keep the eggs fresh for a longer period of time.
486102
I do. that's exactly why I bought it.if you get one small egg in your batch you may get 61 in there, but you can get 60 every time. I've been getting 50 to 55 hatch out every time. remember to keep adding water about every 3 days and the eco will do the rest...