Incubator humidity

[Jessperowne]

First timer here!
So I am on day 5 and we have 6 chicken eggs and 5 look fertile.

I have had problems with the humidity. It’s been too high. Anywhere from 60% to 75% over the 5 days.

I’ve now got a bit more control of the levels now.

My question is....... in order to reduce the risk of chicks being too big/drowning, should I keep the humidity lower than the recommended 50% for a few days (say 20%) to compensate and average out or should I just try and keep it constant and at the recommended 50% from now till day 18?

Thanks for any advice

 

[Jan and the flock]

First timer here!
So I am on day 5 and we have 6 chicken eggs and 5 look fertile.

I have had problems with the humidity. It’s been too high. Anywhere from 60% to 75% over the 5 days.

I’ve now got a bit more control of the levels now.

My question is....... in order to reduce the risk of chicks being too big/drowning, should I keep the humidity lower than the recommended 50% for a few days (say 20%) to compensate and average out or should I just try and keep it constant and at the recommended 50% from now till day 18?

Thanks for any advice

I'd keep it at the suggested level. If it's to low the air cell in the egg will get larger. if it gets too large by the hatch time....the chick may get stuck in the membrane and have a tough time getting out...or suffocate if the membrane covers the chicks face....and dried there because the air space got so big the membrane has shrunk around the chick and become sticky....if this happens it's the only time I will intervene and remove the drying membrane before it really gets stuck! That's many days away.

 

[Stacyoung13]

First timer here!
So I am on day 5 and we have 6 chicken eggs and 5 look fertile.

I have had problems with the humidity. It’s been too high. Anywhere from 60% to 75% over the 5 days.

I’ve now got a bit more control of the levels now.

My question is....... in order to reduce the risk of chicks being too big/drowning, should I keep the humidity lower than the recommended 50% for a few days (say 20%) to compensate and average out or should I just try and keep it constant and at the recommended 50% from now till day 18?

Thanks for any advice

I keep my humidity between 35-45 first 18 days then 65-75 for lockdown.

 

[Fairview01]

Your humidity levels should cause this type of aircell progression. If you observe and change humidity levels in relation to what you observe going on inside the egg you'll have a better hatch. Depending on a cheap and in all likelihood a highly inaccurate humidity meter is the best way to achieve the worst hatch rates possible.