Opening incubator during lockdown

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ChickadeeNMe

ChickadeeNMe

Chirping
Apr 12, 2015
69
20
71
Knoxville, TN
Hey folks. I am having serious anxiety about this hatching business. It's my first time and I'm struggling with the humidity during lockdown. I think I have it right finally after getting it too high (almost 80%) and then removing the wet was cloth, then it decreased too much (50%). I got it at 70% right now. I've opened the incubator (very briefly) about 5 times throughout the day trying to get this right. I was wondering if I've damaged my little hatchlings by doing this? I don't want to open it again, but now I'm afraid the humidity will continue to increase and get too high again. I'm using a Farm Innovators Forced Air. I have 2 small bowls with wet sponges in there. This is so stressful!!! Next time, I plan to do something a little different for lockdown. Have a tube running into the bator that I can add water with without opening....
 
Opening can be a problem depending on ambient humidity.

My best advice is - don't freak out. It is what it is.
Too high isn't a problem the last couple days unless it has been too high throughout.
 
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Well, I haven't opened the bator anymore, but my humidity is stabilized and sticking at 77%. I hope it's not too much. The humidity in the first 18 days varied between 20%-50% depending on when I would throw a portion of damp sponge in there. I let it go at 20%-30% most of the time, so it should be fine. This is nerve wracking. Hatch day is Saturday if they are ok...
 
Relax. I think you're OK.
If humidity has bee high throughout, there is a danger of not losing enough water and basically drowning. I don't have a problem with humidity that high at the end. Your hygrometer may be wrong anyway.
 
you'll be fine, as soon as the first one pops out you're going to get a big spike in humidity and as subsequent ones hatch it can even get to where you have condensation building up on the viewing glass, it's not a problem to worry about.
 
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400

Is it normal to have THIS MUCH condensation in the viewing window?? My humidity is ranging from 75%-77%. Also, we just started day 21... I'm trying to occupy myself, but this is torture. Worse than being pregnant. Haha.
 
You can open the incubator any day, lock down is simply a suggestion that reminds you to remove or turn off turners and bump humidity levels it's not a hard fast rule that has to be observed...

As long as you can maintain the higher humidity levels for hatch (this isn't even a hard fast rule) and remember to turn off the turners (to avoid injury after hatch) you can open at will even during the last few days...

I personally have never done a lock down and have near 100% hatch rate on any eggs that make it to that 18+ days...

As for humidity on the viewing glass, the internal due point is dependent on temperature difference between the inside and outside of the incubator and how much cooler that window is... As long as teh eggs have a properly sized air cell at this point and the chick pips correctly the excess humidity should not pose a problem at this point... Personally if it was my incubator I would open it up and wipe off the excess humidity from the window, just because...
 
Done! Condensation wiped 6 minutes ago and humidity is already reading 74%. I'm going to leave it be now... The little half of a sponge that I threw in there yesterday is almost dry. I just wish now that I would see an egg twitch or a pip? A peep? Anything.
 

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