Reviews After the Hatch

This page will be updated as issues are noticed after hatches.

After the first hatch, I placed a couple of thermometers inside the J8-48 for comparison and found the J8-48 to be 2 degrees warmer from its setting.  The J8-48 thermometer was adjusted following the instruction manual without difficulty. 

The incubator cleans nicely with soap and water.

Avoid rough handling, I somehow cracked the screen that protects the fan and heating unit in the lid.

Environment humidity effects the humidity within the incubator and how often you'll need to add water.

If you vision 4 sections within the incubator; the upper-right section is 2 degrees warmer than the other three sections.  The fan is circulating the air.  I need to inventory the eggs on upcoming incubations to see if eggs in the upper-right section are affected by the higher heat.

My hatch percentage hasn't been good and I hope the improve the percentage as I continued more incubations.  My incubation experience began in the winter months and I know the cold has affected my percentages.  Especially if I didn't gathered the eggs before they chilled below 40 degrees harming the embryo.  March will bring warmer days to improve the live embryo eggs placed in the incubation.

I had a good visit with a seasoned  incubator who follows the Dry Incubator Hatch procedure and he explained how I probably was drowning those unhatched chicks in my previous hatches.  I googled Dry Incubation Hatch and found several good articles explaining some of my problems in previous hatches.

My Dry Incubation Hatch overall failed on the first attempt. When I added 1/4 cup water to the dry channels this raised the humidity to 60% for several hours before dropping down into the 40-30's.  The next time I will use a syringe and add water by the tablespoons to obtain the 30% humidity level.

Using a syringe and adding 30ml or 1/8 cup as needed an this raises the humidity to 45%.  To maintain the 45% level I add 15ml of water once the humidity level drops to 10-12%. 

Having the humidity level 45% or lower reduced the drowning chicks when they peeped the air sac.

I have been using the dry incubation method for several rounds and I am very pleased with this method.  Through day 18 I haven't added any water and the humidity runs low and my hatch results are good.  Round 9 had several dead developed chicks and I sure the external heat played a major role in the death of the chick before they hatched.

Dry incubation method with humidity levels in the 20% range appear to be fine through the 18 day.  I am happy with this method an will continue the dry incubation method.

I really like the dry incubation method and only adding 2 tablespoons of water to the water channel when the humidity alarms sounds a 0% (have humidity set at 0%).  On the 19th day I added 4 tablespoons of water to the water channel and the humidity fluctuated 30-55% through the end of day 21.  Remember don't lift the lid until all the eggs have hatched; I know its tough not to lift the lid!

Had too many clear eggs in this group when I candled on the 19th day. When cold fronts pass through the area the humidity level drops and I added 2 tablespoon of water to raise the humidity level.

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