For the first 18 days, they’re turned 3-5 times daily and kept at 40 to 50% humidity. (If you’re looking for a quick answer, chicken eggs take a total of 21 days to hatch at 99.5 degrees F or 37.5 degrees C. Still, I’ll cover both methods, including hatching eggs in an incubator and hatching eggs with a broody hen. Some heirloom chicken breeds still make good mothers, but an incubator is much more dependable (and doesn’t get distracted or flustered like a hen might). Many modern chicken varieties don’t “go broody,” and the hens will not raise their own chicks. If you have chickens already, it is sometimes possible to use a broody hen. ![]() Sure, nurseries carry plant starts, but you’ll have to start plants from seed if you want less common (and often more flavorful) heirloom varieties. The same is true when it comes to starting plants from seed. It’s hard to find the truly unique, heritage poultry breeds that are becoming increasingly popular with backyard homesteaders. There are many commercial hatcheries that will send you day-old chicks, but the selection is often limited to the most common popular varieties. ![]() This is critical on homemade incubators.Hatching chicken eggs at home is one of the best ways to start your flock, especially if you’re hoping to raise unique or heritage breeds. Make sure that the ventilation holes are open to allow a normal exchange of air. It is difficult to provide too much oxygen, but a deficiency is possible. The best hatching results are obtained with normal atmospheric air, which usually contains 21 percent oxygen. Incubator Temperature Wet Bulb Readings Ventilation It is also possible to determine whether there is too much or too little humidity in the incubator by candling the eggs and observing the size of the air cells. As the water evaporates from the cotton it causes a cooling effect on the thermometer. Then place the tail of the wick in water. To make a wet-bulb thermometer, just add a cotton wick to the end of a thermometer. The greater the evaporation taking place, the lower the temperature reading on the wet-bulb thermometer and the larger the spread will be between the wet- and dry-bulb reading. If the wet and dry bulb read the same temperature, you would have 100 percent humidity. The wet-bulb thermometer measures the evaporative cooling event. Using a wet-bulb thermometer is a good learning experience for determining relative humidity. There will be more condensation on the glass if the room is cold, so be sure the temperature in the incubator remains steady. However, the condensation is also related to the temperature of the room where the incubator is being operated. In the latter stages of incubation (from the 19th day on), condensation on the glass indicates the presence of sufficient moisture. A good test is to add water just warm to the touch. Whenever you add water to an incubator, it should be about the same temperature as the incubator so you do not stress the eggs or the incubator. The pan should be checked regularly while the incubator is in use to be sure that there is always an adequate amount of water. ![]() The relative humidity in the incubator can also be varied by changing the size of the water pan or by putting a sponge in the pan to increase the evaporating surface. (This is especially helpful when duck or goose eggs are being hatched.)Īn 8-inch pie tin or petri dish containing water and placed under the tray of eggs should provide adequate moisture. Table 3 (Relative Humidity) will enable you to calculate relative humidity using readings from a wet-bulb thermometer and the incubator thermometer.ĭuring the hatching period, using an atomizer to spray a small amount of water into the ventilating holes may increase the humidity in the incubator. Too little moisture results in excessive evaporation, causing chicks to stick to the shell sometimes and hatch crippled at hatching time. Too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and results in a decreased hatch, but excessive moisture is seldom a problem in small incubators. During the last 3 days (the hatching period) the relative humidity should be nearer 65-70 percent. The relative humidity of the air within an incubator for the first 18 days should be able 60 percent.
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