Ready ... Set ... GROW!

I set the eggs for hatching Sunday, but got so busy with Father's Day that I was unable to blog.  Then, ofcourse, on Monday I had to recover from all that "king for a day" stuff for the hubby.   I was wiped out, but we had a great day!

Ran the incubator Saturday afternoon then all through the night so I could get the temperature and the humidity where it needs to be; 35% - 50% humidity for days 1-18 at 99.5 - 101 degrees.  I filled the bottom of the bator with water, and added 4 little bowls of water just incase that wasn't enough.  The thermometer was reading at the sweet spot (99.5) very shortly and has basically stayed there since. 

Started out early in the a.m. up and at 'em at about 6:30 a.m. to load the incubator and pack the chick crib.  It was very nerve racking and exciting all at the same time.   In went half of my chochin eggs.  I made breakfast, promised my husband I would be right back to celebrate his special day, then I loaded the chick crib and headed to Farm Gurl's coop.  You may remember, she is my baby momma.  She is hatching 6 of my babies in her incubator just incase my stryofoam project fails.  Farm Gurl's eggs are hatching Blue Silkies which will hatch out light to dark gray, so I was sure to put all my lightest color chicks with hers.  When those chicks start hatching like popocorn, we will be able to tell which chicks are mine and hers. 

I finally got to meet her in person, and visit her home.   You should see her vegetable beds!  Go over to her blog and nudge her to post new pics, because the beds are getting nice and full now. 

On my way home I got a sinking feeling that something may be off.  OH YEAH!!!  How do I measure humidity?!  Hey, I said I was a first timer.  I head to Walmart to get a hygrometer, and that's when my nightmares start.  I take my first measurement at it reads 73%.   aaaaaagh!  Not good at all.
Learn from me and DON'T fill your incubator with water and add 4 bowls of water just incase.  lol
Especially if you live in a humid climate like South Florida.

Chick eggs need to be in low humidity so they can actually shrink a little and absorb air to create a nice sized air sac.  That air sac is important for them to be able to breathe.  Yes, chicks actually breathe.  Not through the air sac just yet, but they actually breathe through the many pores in the shell.  Then within the last 3 days of incubation they break through the air sac and practice breathing in that controlled environment.   if they don't have much of an air sac they may pip right through to the shell which will expose them to the outside world much to quickly because their lungs are forming and beginning to funcition during the time between when they pip and actually hatch.  More on that later.  Needless to say, the humidity ESPECIALLY in the first few days should certainly NOT be at 73%, so I worked on it all day. 

Nothing would bring that humidity down, and i mean nothing.  I took all the water out.  I raised the temp a bit hoping to make it drier.  I removed the towel that was under the incubator.   Finally, I made the actual room colder, and opened the door instead of closing it.  YES!  That worked.  Cold air is cryer than warm air.  So, now it's freezing in the house, but the chicks have been at 35% - 40% since last night and all through the day today.  I actually had to add some water back in as it was dropping even further.  so, lots of adjusting over the past few days, but I believe we are at a happy place... for now!   Grow baby grow!

Next step is candeling to check for fertitlity.  Day 4 or 7, then two more times in the future.  That means possibly tomorrow!!!   I can't wait to post pics of it.  We will actually be able to see inside the eggs.  I will tell you more about it then.  Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss it.