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You only turn for first 18 days, in fact 14 days is all that is really necessary. Humidity depends on the ambient level in the room, so that depends on the location which must be in a stable area above 20C but with no direct sunlight. We don't put any water in until day 18 when turning stops, but we do check air sac development very carefully and adjust early humidity accordingly.
 
this is what i dont get how do i know what the humidity is it doesnt say on the brinsea it just says fill one side of reservour
 
You are more likely to run into problems if you add too much water than if you add too little. If it's too humid, especially in the early stages, the chicks risk drowning because too much water vapour will penetrate their porous shells. Their shells are porous to let in the air they need to breath, and if it's too humid they can't get enough oxygen. Many people nowadays add no water at all, or very little. when i used a Brinsea Advance I incubated totally dry except for the last day or so before the chicks were due to hatch, but that was for quail eggs, which are even more sensitive to high humidity than hens' eggs. I would add just a tiny bit of water, less than one side of a reservoir, and see how it goes. The fan in the incubator will be drawing air in from the surroundings, and if you have a barometer or a weather station in your house it will tell you what the humidity is in your home. If its around 40-45% that's fine, no need for extra water. If it's higher humidity than that, then definitely no water! In our house ATM, our weather station says 43% humidity, which would be OK for incubation.
You can also buy a little hygrometer, which is about the size of an egg and sits inside the incubator and gives readings of what the humidity inside is like.
there are many types e.g. this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-LCD-Digital-Incubator-Egg-Hatching-Sensor-Humidity-Hygrometer-Meter-UK-/281936741176?var=&hash=item41a4bd4338:m:mLYRbg8OnjYXveQuzLFXMRA
though this might not be suitable if it has a sensor on a cord that would interfere with the dome closing, best get a battery operated one that just sits inside the inci. Just search Hygrometer on eBay.
 
I found a humidity chart on-line somewhere, which compared humidity to temperature for a given amount of moisture in the air. So an ambient temperature of 20C with 75% humidity (we live in an old stone house) becomes 37.5C in the incubator and 35% humidity if I remember correctly. We still ran dry up to day 18 then filled just one reservoir- two would be necessary for a very dry environment. Lots of incubators are made in Italy or Spain where the air is very dry and two reservoirs are necessary, one for incubation and then two for hatching. As Marigold says, you stand far more chance of success running with lower humidity than higher in the first 18 days. Also consider that the figures quoted by everyone are based on an average shell porosity which was derived by someone decades ago. Our Wyandottes laid eggs so sound that even running dry the air sac wouldn't develop properly and we lost one of 12 at hatching.
 
thanks for advise ive put a small amount in one side today and ill get a hygrometer thingy and see what my house it then go from there thank you so much guys i appreciate all the help
 
just found a temp and humid thingy today sat it on worktop next to incubator and its ranged from 46% to 50% all day
 
i have candled my eggs at day 8 and there all veiny so looks like there all working its now 8 days to go before hatching i have made my brooder box do i need any special things like a chemical in water or not i have my heated brooder plate , chick drinker and chick bowl for crumb is that all i need ,
 
Chick crumb usually comes with cocciostat added. Keep them in the incubator for the first day so you do not let all the heat out. The chicks will have yolk in their bodies which will keep them going.
 
Minorcafan said:
Chick crumb usually comes with cocciostat added. Keep them in the incubator for the first day so you do not let all the heat out. The chicks will have yolk in their bodies which will keep them going.
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-and resist the impulse to open the incubator at all, for 24 hours after the last chick has hatched, so they don't get a draught of colder air whilst they're drying out and fluffing up. That's the hard bit!
 
We take our chicks out when they have fluffed up as they do bumble around and disturb the unhatched chicks. BUT not if any of the other eggs have pipped, because opening the incubator causes a sudden drop in humidity and that can result in the membrane under the shell drying, sticking to the chick and preventing it from progressing any further.
 
one day to go hopefully theyll hatch i candled them at day 15 and 3 were pretty much dark which seems like theres a chick in them 1 was to speckly so couldnt tell but the other was a black pea size does that mean it hasnt carryed on growing , also can i clean my incubator with kitchen antibacterial spray then warm soapy water .
 
Good luck with the hatch! We're all waiting for news!
Have you removed the turning circle and lined the plastic base of the incubator with something their little feet can get a grip on, like old cotton fabric or J-cloth? This is very important as the base is slippery and their little legs may splay out whilst they're drying out in there, and not go back properly. (this is called spraddled leg.) Throw the lining away afterwards and then clean the inci as you describe.
I don't know about the candling, I think you'll just have to be patient and see what happens. When you get to the stage where you switch off turning and add the liner, top up the water to increase humidity, and then be careful NOT TO OPEN THE INCUBATOR AT ALL until they've hatched and dried off for 24 hours. That's the hard part - but at least, with a little Brinsea, you can settle down with your sandwiches and camera and see what's happening!
 
day 21 and no movement at all ,last night one egg looked really shady but nothing
 
on the 21 day and just noticed one egg has pipped abit hopefully it will be out soon
 
one finally hatch and one more egg is pipping , the little chick is running around moving eggs shall i remove it yet
 
No, leave it in there. If you open the incubator, all the warm humid air will escape, which will hinder the hatch of the second chick and may chill the first one. Chicks don't need food or water for the first 24-48 hours after hatching as they feed on the remains of the egg yolk which is still there for them. When the second one hatches, if you think that's all you're going to get, leave them in there until the second one has dried out and then transfer them to the brooder, which you need to get warmed up now to the same temperature as the incubator to start with, so they don't get a temperature shock.
 
ive transfered both to brooder just should i leave incubator on another day as i think there should be 3 but no pipping at all
 
Well done to have two hatch - how many eggs did you start with? Yes, leave the incubator on for another two days in case another one hatches later than the others, it sometimes does happen and you've nothing to lose.
 
i only had five eggs , when i candled them a while back looked like there was 3 hopefully hatch one more, i have a problem i was been keen and purchased smemore fertile eggs and they came thurs will they keep another few days
 
If there's no sign of the third egg pipping this morning, I would clean up the incubator and add the new eggs, as they will have a better chance of success if they are as fresh as possible. Allowing for time in the post, they will be at least a week old already.
 
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