Incubator temperature and humidity? ? ?

Ann@Nanango · **Posted:** Sun May 24, 2009 6:10 pm

Hi.

Well, I've collected 12 eggs from my girls and have passed them on to a friend who has an incubator.

The instructions which came with the incubator (she's had it for some years), said that the temperature should be 103 degrees Fahrenheit. According to hubby's calculations this is 39.5 degrees Celsius. This seems a bit warm compared with the 37.7 C which is recommended here. This incubator has successfully hatched chicks/ducks and turkeys in the past. I'm wondering if the temperature is read a bit above the actual egg level.

Also, Mel has some ducks and has put one duck egg in with the chicken eggs. Do duck and chicken eggs have different temperature/humidity requirements. As far as I know the incubator doesn't have an hygrometer.

Oh well, tomorrow will be day one and counting.

Will keep you all updated when we candle them in one week. Hopefully some (or all) will be fertile.

Cheers.

Ann

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

your right anne ,if it's a foam type incubator the temperature is from above the eggs , I like the Old Bellsouths and mine run at 103 degrees with a good hatch rate , As for humidity I don't know ,I don't use anything other than past experience to test my humidity , Ducks are different I'm sure someone will be able to help in the duckling department , Sounds like your well on the way , Good Luck Ian

Ann@Nanango · **Posted:** Mon May 25, 2009 9:45 am

Wooo hoooo

Thanks Ian.

I was worried I'd committed Chookicide when handing them over. :oops:

Will let you know in a week when they are candled as to their viability. The little corkscrew white jelly bit on either side of the yolk means their fertile doesn't it? I ate an egg which had that so I'm assuming they're fertile (it was a fresh egg before anybody calls me a murderer) :lol:

Cheers for now.

Ann

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue May 26, 2009 2:09 am

Ann@Nanango wrote:

The little corkscrew white jelly bit on either side of the yolk means their fertile doesn't it?

No. That stuff which has a name that I can't remember at 2am indicates nothing regarding fertility.

When cracking open an egg, you'd be looking for the little circular spot on it. A perfect circle...probably fertile. I poor circle...probably not.

Best answer I can string together right now. Better answers to come from others later I'm sure.

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

What he said , and we do have a Really good thread on it ,I'll try to find it .

Ann@Nanango · **Posted:** Tue May 26, 2009 1:24 pm

I found a spot I found a spot. Yippee. It was only about 2mm in diameter - but I'm excited.

Wweeeeeeeee. I deafened my daughter when I found it.

Thanks guys.

Ann

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

Quick get them in the Bator

Ann@Nanango · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:45 am

Hi all.

Well I've had my eggs in the incubator for over a week now.

I candled them (why don't we call it torching :lol:

) on Sunday arvo and some are developing. I could see little embryo spots, little veins around the shell, and sadly some not (maybe infertile).

The shells make it really hard to see clearly. They look really speckly under the light. Would be that a deficiency of some sort? Or is that normal. Might get some piccys if I can.

Will keep you posted. (it is a Bellsouth incubator Ian - just as you suspected) although Mel has the thermometer at the bottom level of the eggs (beside them on the "floor" of the incubator). It's not "fan forced".

Woo hoo. Will candle them next weekend again and see how we're going - just as well they're not at my place, I'd be checking them every 5 minutes (and talking to them).

Bye for now.

Ann

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

OO Noo ,You've got to Move the Thermometer ASAP , It's imperative that the temperature is taken from above the egg

The difference is Huuuuuge . Ive got mine glued to pieces of perspex and they lay on top of the eggs . It will make a big difference .
If the eggs look spotty They could be porous , Hard to tell without seeing them , But they could be lacking something .
Kewpie Breeder Ration ,will ensure a good fertility rate and a Healthy yolk .

Keep us posted

Ann@Nanango · **Posted:** Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:03 pm

Eeeeek, I'll be visiting tomorrow morning, so will "fashion" some sort of thermometer rest, above the eggs? Maybe I could just put an egg carton in there and sit the thermometer on top of that? That would only be a few mm above the top of the largest egg - oh hang on they are all laying on their sides, will think about it some more. I did notice that the temp was a little bit below 103 maybe 102 or 101.5. May be my only saving grace at this stage. Will see if I can spot the exact model of the incubator and try and source an instruction manual. (I'm a bit of an instruction manual person)

Will pick up some breeder ration soon (may get Mel to pick it up she's working at Kingaroy).

Will take a piccy tomorrow of the porous egg and fingers crossed it'll be "viewable" and not blurry.

Ciao for now and thanks for the advice Ian.

Ann

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