Chicks starting to hatch...foggy incubator window (grr)

[newchickies]

I have 8 eggs in our homemade incubator, of which 3 have pipped (today is day 21). My problem is this - I keep having to crack the lid to peek in at them because our little window keeps getting fogged up with condensation from all of the humidity! Arggghhh! I don't want to have to keep opening the lid up to peek so does anyone know a trick to defog a window, or have any experience with this?!?!

Thanks in advance for your help. This is our second time incubating eggs (the first time, about a year ago, was a disaster and we learned a lot from it) from our own chickies (the first time from our own chickens, though). We have 4 pullets that these eggs are from - barred rock, buff orpington, australorp, and a red sex link (and our rooster is an ameraucana). So we'll see what we end up getting! Cross your fingers for us that it goes well!

 

[chicmom]

OH, cracking the incy in the lockdown stage is a big no-no! (I know it's hard--you want to look so badly.) Since your incy is home made, did you make any vents? If you could open a little vent, that would help.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Do you have a hygrometer in there? If so, what does it say? A fogged up window usually means humidity is too high. Do you have adequate ventilation??

 

[newchickies]

I know!! Ahh! The humidity is at 78%. Most of our ventilation holes are plugged because the humidity was dropping, but I will try it and see if it works.

And we now have FOUR pips!

 

[VredenburgS]

Take a plug out...DON"T OPEN BATER!! YOU WILL SHRINK WRAP YOUR BABIES!!!! Good luck ! Hang in there !

 

[newchickies]

Ok, I've unplugged a couple of holes. The humidity is now 75%. We read that it should be from 70-80%. Is that right?

 

[Katy]

I try and keep it at 60-65% for hatch.

 

[chicmom]

Just unplug one hole at a time.....plug them all back up except one........

 

[newchickies]

with just one hole unplugged it is still fogged up and pretty humid. the two holes unplugged seems to be working better.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
Then do that. I try to start lockdown at about 70%, it increases slightly when they start pipping. There is no "answer" for what your humidity should be exactly, it depends on where you live, your altitude, etc... you just have to figure out what works for you. For example, 60-65% works great for Katy, but here, I would shrink wrap all my chicks. Good luck!!