rookie chicken person

[lolotsung]

Wow, can all that happen to one person! Never thought of my cat sleeping on it, maybe I should tape to bottom of my hovabator to my table! too much humidity! How does a hen control the humidity? If it is s really humid day will her chicks drown?

[Killerbunny]

DOn't let us panic you!

[WLLady]

LOL I've been hatching for many many years.....it just seems that everything happens when you are worried because the incubator is running. Believe me, power outages don't worry me in the slightest-except when the incubator is on. LOL it's all me. if the power goes out, just throw a blanket over the incubator to keep the heat in and take it off when the power comes back on. some hens can drown chicks-i have a turkey that is hopeless for hatching, but tries every year. so every year i scoop some eggs and put them in the incubator and let her try with her own, and when it's almost time (or she's lost all the eggs to nasty rotten blow ups) for hatching i'll put the incubator eggs under her for the last 2 days to hatch. works a charm....but then i have to watch that she doesn't lose them, or they don't drown in the water.....i have a mom with 2 chicks out now, she appeared one day after sitting on a nest of 20 or so eggs. she hatched 2 and then left the nest, and has 2 little cockerels following her around outside now. (like i needed more boys....) she's fierce mom, fought off the cats, and the dog! Hens get up every so often to eat, drink and leave giant broody poops. So it really depends on the hen. many are awesome and some are hopeless. LOL. There are some breeds that tend to go broody more-like silkies.

Really i found the absolutely most important is that the incubator is not in direct sunlight....that will bake everything in short order. The rest is really finding out what works for you. some people dry hatch with no added water, others add a little water, others don't add until hatch, others add water and then dry hatch....it really is a bit of "art" and "trial and error". but keep at it!