Humidity....

[adobechicks]

I have a Brinsea Mini advanced. It has two spaces for water. The first 18 days you are supposed to fill one of them....the last 3 days you are supposed to fill both. Last hatch most of my chicks never made it to full size but the 2 that did died within the last day. I am pretty sure they drowned, because they were positioned the correct way and looked well but never pipped. I assumed that I did not need to use a hygrometer while using the Brinsea....apparently I was wrong!!! So i have a hygrometer now and I did the salt/water test in a baggie and it was right on 75%. so I am assuming it is accurate! I just put in i new batch of eggs yesterday. With one of the waters filled the humidity is 60-75% !! To high for the first 18 days. So when both are full it probably was at 100%. ok sooo the water is about empty and it shows about 50%. I guess my question is....do I add water?? I feel like they need some but they hygro says 50% with no water.....???I don't know what to do!!! I live in CO so it is dry and we don't have a swamp cooler or anything. any suggestions?????

 

[Habibs Hens]

just follow your hygrometer


and perform weight and sight checks on the egg airsac

make sure about 13-14% weight is lost

that equate to 1/3rd of teh eggs airsac

 

[croach510]

I keep my humidity at 25-30% during the first 18 days. The only time I would add water to the well during the first 18 days is if the humidity dropped below 25%. I think 50% is a little high. I had mine at 45% on my first 2 hatchs and my babies did the same as yours. Full developed when I did eggtopsy but drowned when they internally pipped. Hope this helps and good luck on your hatch.

 

[adobechicks]

So what if there is no water in there at all and it is still about 25% ?? Should I just leave it without water??

 

[yinepu]

So what if there is no water in there at all and it is still about 25% ?? Should I just leave it without water??

just monitor the air cells.. if they start getting too large too fast then add some water.. otherwise leave it alone and they should be fine.. use the eggs as your guide since the amount of humidity needed will vary depending on where you live and how high the humidity is in your home

 

[croach510]

Yes just leave it empty and long as the humidity is above 25%, I wouldn't add water. It doesn't have to have water in the wells.