Round Three

After my first complete failure, and my second partial failure (or maybe I should say partial success, since I did get one of the six eggs to hatch), I have finally summoned enough courage to try for a third time to incubate some chicken eggs.  The first time I tried, with no less than thirty-two eggs that I paid for, I had a faulty thermometer and the poor eggs never had a chance.  For round two I tried a more modest six eggs from mom's hens and used this yellow thermometer designed for reptile terrariums, but must have had some problems with the temperature or humidity which gave me a poor hatch rate and a chick with funky toes.  This time I have two thermometers, plus an hygrometer, with hopes that I can do a better job.  I have much more respect for chicken mamma's now. 

My understanding is that the temperature should be ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity should be around fifty-five percent.   My newest thermometer/hygrometer has a sensor on a cord, like the other thermometer.  Well, I assumed that the sensor on the cord was for both the thermometer and hygrometer and couldn't figure out why it didn't seem to matter how much water I added to the incubator, the humidity would not rise above twenty-five percent.  Then I finally had a thought (scary, I know) that the hygrometer sensor wasn't on the cord, but was on the display case which I had sitting outside the incubator on the floor.  Duh.  So, when I finally put the whole thing in the incubator I was able to get the humidity under control.   Of course, by this time the humidity was over 80 percent and had been that way for almost two days.  Another problem I may already have, is that when I first put the thermometer sensors in the incubator I placed them on the floor like the incubator instructions said to do with the old thermometer.  When I had the epiphany about the hygrometer I also moved the sensors onto the eggs and realized that the temperature at that location was several degrees higher than the floor.  This may explain the crooked toes on Ducky, my only survivor of the last batch. 

So, unless I've already messed this up, I should have chicks on April 22.  Cross your fingers!