The Poultry Keeper

Elliecat · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Devon

I have just been told that I should decrease the temperature in my rcom20 and not increase it. I am on day 19. This goes against all other recommendations - like some opinions please. Thanks

jreeve · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 91 Location: North Wales

Temperature is sometimes decreased during hatching as the chicks can make their own body heat; but normally temperature is left alone. Humidity should be increased during hatching, the eggs sprayed with water if the incubator needs to be opened, or the incubator just left alone to keep humidity stable.

Your post title refers to humidity and your post refers to temp so i am not sure what your question really is. Sorry if thats no help!..

nigel · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject:

as jreeve says you can drop the temperature by 1°C at day 19 - i never do it's easier just to leave it set as it is.

Humidity should be increased to 65%RH plus on day 19 when you stop the auto turner [or when you stop turning if you're doing it by hand of course]

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Shetland

Can't remember where I read this, but the recommended temperatures / humidities for RCom20 are 37.5deg and 45% for days 1-19, then 37.2deg and 65% for days 19-21.

Have been using this ever since I got my 2008 model RCom (4 hatches so far) and it's worked a treat. Even with those tricksy Copper/black Marans that usually get stuck in their shells / membranes.

Attila

Elliecat · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Devon

That'll teach me to try and post whilst rushing out the door to school sports day!! I meant humidity not temperature. Sorry

Elliecat · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Devon

Well it's day 21 and I can hear cheeping coming from inside the incubator! Hopefully there will be some movement soon or I'm likely to burst a blood vessell. These are the first eggs I have hatched in an incubator as I have only just started with specific breeds. Previously I have used a broody bantam. At present I have 16 various hens (bluebells, light sussex, black rocks etc) also have young Aruacanas (so pretty), cream legbars and gold laced Orpingtons( very beautiful). In the incubator I have cream and silver legbars and lavendar pekins. Fingers crossed everybody please.

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Shetland

Best of luck, Elliecat!

Handy Rcom hint... the floor of the incubator is very smooth, and provides hatching chicks with no purchase for their feet. To avoid any splay-leg problems, rest the unhatched eggs on a clean flannel, making sure it does not cover the edges of the floor (as this would impede humidity control - I find a standard sized face flannel folded in half does the trick nicely).

The flannel gives them something to grip, and absorbs any poo while they're fluffing up.

Sounds like you've got a very pretty flock... the Gold-laced Orps are particularly stunning, aren't they? If you haven't already, have a look at all the different coloured laced Wyandottes you can get - fabulous!

Attila

Elliecat · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Devon

Thanks for the advice. Will sort that out asap. One of the pekin eggs is actually rocking backwards and forwards now!!

By the way has anyone elses hens stopped laying at the moment?

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Shetland

Yes, most of mine... either broody or thinking about going into moult. Getting a mere dozen eggs a day at the moment!

Attila

Elliecat · Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Devon

Woke up this am to a little lavendar pekin chick - bright, perky and cheeping. Hubby wants to call it Anni as it is our 22nd anniversary today. Another pekin egg cracked with a little beak poking through. No signs of anything from any of the others. Tried to post a photo but unfortunately the program kept freezing! Will try again later

I didn't have a flannel but cut up a teatowel and popped that in which seems to be doing the trick. Thanks for the advice Attila - greatly appreciated.

Have my brooder all ready for the new residents once they are all fluffed up! Do I still leave the humidity up to 60 once they have started to hatch?

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 442 Location: Shetland

Yes, definitely. Once they're starting to come out of the eggs, that's the time the humidity is most important - as the eggshell falls away, it exposes the membrane beneath. The 60% humidity keeps the membrane from drying out too much and turning too leathery for the chick to push through. It won't hurt the chicks who've already hatched and are spending 24 hours in there fluffing up. (Think about sticking your hand under a broody hen - what does it feel like? Apart from painful when they bite! It's kind of hot and sweaty under there, and their chicks fluff up nicely!!)

Attila

mojo · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject:

i now use sponge bath matting(the one with ribs and fine holes) cut to incubby and brooder floor size .............you get several from one mat..............wash daily in milton solution for a healthy mat...........cuts down splay leg........if not use corrigated cardboard cut to size and burn when mucky