At lockdown, do you put paper towel down for chicks to hatch onto?

[Mrs MIA]

Yep!

 

[SJensen]

This is my first time hatching eggs and I'm using an aquarium with shelf liner as flooring. I'm on day 24 -- one chick hatched yesterday has been moved to the brooder, one more hatched today and is still in the incubator. Two more are pipped. Humidity is at 82%.

My problem is this: the shelf liner is wet from condensation and egg insides. The new chick keeps putting his head down in the mess and I'm worried that bacteria growing in all this may be harmful to it. I'm so tempted to open the incubator and dry off that shelf liner with a paper towel, but of course don't want to endanger the pipped eggs. Is it normal for chicks to be standing on a gross, wet surface in an incubator?

 

[dancingbear]

Your humidity is 82%? Is that by hygrometer or wet bulb temp? If it's a hygrometer reading, that's way too high! I hatch at 55%, some go to 60%-65%, I'd never go over 70%. I don't like to get over 60%.

That's why you have condensation and egg goo. You should have no condensation, and hardly any goo. Chicks should hatch slightly damp, not wet and slimy!

I'd open it and sop up the mess, and get the humidity down to about 55%. I'm surprised you've hatched any at all, and they didn't drown in the shells!

Good luck, I hope the rest are ok. Don't let them get chilled, but I would dry them out some.

 

[SJensen]

Thank you for your speedy reply. I've cleaned the bottom and will lower the humidity some (I'm using a hygrometer and up until the first chick hatched it was around 70% for lockdown). Now we'll see if any of the others make it out of their shells...

 

[Butterflygirl50]

Thank you for the info. Will go purchase a shelf liner this week.

 

[preciouschick]

I use that rubbery waffle looking shelf liner.

i put the shelf waffle liner in but it seemed to take away fro the humidity "rising". should it just be a small piece under the egg like a 4 x 4 square?