Complex Multi-Egg Incubation Advice (Duck, Quail, Chicken)

[m1chelle1]

Hello BYC Fam

So I *usually* only set like with like when incubating. But I want to try to set duck chicken and quail eggs together today.
I have a new GQF cabinet incubator, which is AMAZING btw . Its been running for over 24hrs now, and is holding steady at 99.5 F.
Humidity is around 40% or so in there now. I know I have better success with lower humidity incubations for quail (30-40), but I usually do around 50% for chicken and duck. I know that a lot of people, incl myself, think its best to err on the side of a tad lower humidity for duck and chickens, so they dont grow too large and/or drown, but I'm wondering if 40% would be a tad too low..?? Thoughts??
Also- to finish up, I'm only going to have these eggs in the same incubator for 4 days. My other incubator is currently housing EE eggs that will hatch out soon, and my plan is to then move the duck eggs into that incubator, to accommodate a higher humidity for the rest of the incubation period. Do you think the duck eggs will do ok for the first few days at the lower humidity levels (40%)?

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I appreciate feedback and advise from those who have incubated a bit of a mixed batch such as this

Cheers!!

M

 

[m1chelle1]

 

[Finnie]

I don’t know if this will help your situation, since mine is different. But I prefer to hatch chickens at as low humidity as possible. About the only time I add water is if it dips down into the teens. My worst hatch rates occur when ambient humidity keeps my incubators up in the 40s or higher, and it’s too hard for me to lower it.

Also, I often incubate chickens, turkeys and ducks together. The lower humidity may be a problem for my duck eggs. I don’t get super great duck hatch rates. For me those usually fare better under broody chickens. But they do ok in my incubator with low humidity. I think for short term, it should be ok.

 

[m1chelle1]

I don’t know if this will help your situation, since mine is different. But I prefer to hatch chickens at as low humidity as possible. About the only time I add water is if it dips down into the teens. My worst hatch rates occur when ambient humidity keeps my incubators up in the 40s or higher, and it’s too hard for me to lower it.

Also, I often incubate chickens, turkeys and ducks together. The lower humidity may be a problem for my duck eggs. I don’t get super great duck hatch rates. For me those usually fare better under broody chickens. But they do ok in my incubator with low humidity. I think for short term, it should be ok.

aawesome thank you! Yeah, i was thinking just a few days will prob be ok...and yeah. I seem to read/hear/experience that the lower the humidity, the better for *most* egg types, too. It is the duck eggs that I am most concerned about tho. I only have 5 of those, and I have 55 jumbo coturnix LOL

i was also thinking....my cabinet incubator is kind of a tall thing. It seems the highest humidity would be at the top by my reservoir, and the bottom would be the lowest humidity. So i was thinking put the duck eggs on top, the chicken in the middle and the quail on the bottom. Maybe that will help some, but maybe im also over thinking it hehe