[kegs]

Hi

Tomorrow I'm about to use, for the very first time, a Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco Incubator and I'm already confused about humidity levels. 

The instruction booklet advises  "As a general guide for poultry set the ventilation control to about half open and maintain water in one of the two water channels." 

but the person who sent me the eggs said

"The main hatching advice i give people is if your incubator doesn't have auto humidity don't put water in until day 18 which is different to what incubator manufacturers recommend." 

Has anyone any advice and experience of the same incubator, and what should I do: water in at day 1 or water at day 18?   

[Helenaj]

I have the same incubator. Open the humidity vent to halfway and fill one of the water troughs to 1.5cm below the top as any more will spill as it tilts the eggs. At day 18, fill both troughs to within 1.5cm and remove the bars.

[kegs]

I have the same incubator. Open the humidity vent to halfway and fill one of the water troughs to 1.5cm below the top as any more will spill as it tilts the eggs. At day 18, fill both troughs to within 1.5cm and remove the bars.

Thank you Helenaj.  Good tip about the water level too.   

[kegs]

I have the same incubator. Open the humidity vent to halfway and fill one of the water troughs to 1.5cm below the top as any more will spill as it tilts the eggs. At day 18, fill both troughs to within 1.5cm and remove the bars.

Just a thought, how many eggs did you incubate and how often did you have to check the water level?  I know conditions will not be the same but just so I have a rough idea.
Thanks.

[CluckyChicken]

Hi, I have the same incubator and it is amazing!  I have had a variety of numbers of eggs in there, just the same thing every time.  I filled one trough up when they were set, again 7 days later, again 7 days later (day 14) and then on day 18 stop the turning and fill up both.  And open up the vent.  I found the less I interfered, the better they seem to do! 

[Helenaj]

I incubated 24 eggs and checked the water level every other day. Watch that the bars fit okay as I found mine would slip occasionally.