Day 21 humidity low

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Glad to see it's coming up. Keep bringing it up! Dry incubation method applies to during the main portion of incubation... not during lockdown. Lockdown always needs high humidity. If you live in a humid climate, you may be able to get away with a lower humidity inside the incubator (some will want to argue that outside humidity doesn't matter, and I can link you to the explanation of why it *does* matter, or you can just trust me that it does, lol). But for best results, you really will do best with higher humidity. We're only telling you this because we're all rooting for you, and want you to have an awesome hatch. :) Keep us posted!
 
iamcuriositycat said:
Glad to see it's coming up. Keep bringing it up! Dry incubation method applies to during the main portion of incubation... not during lockdown. Lockdown always needs high humidity. If you live in a humid climate, you may be able to get away with a lower humidity inside the incubator (some will want to argue that outside humidity doesn't matter, and I can link you to the explanation of why it *does* matter, or you can just trust me that it does, lol). But for best results, you really will do best with higher humidity. We're only telling you this because we're all rooting for you, and want you to have an awesome hatch. :) Keep us posted!
Click to expand...
yup yup!!! nothing like those first peepers!!
 
iamcuriositycat said:
Glad to see it's coming up. Keep bringing it up! Dry incubation method applies to during the main portion of incubation... not during lockdown. Lockdown always needs high humidity. If you live in a humid climate, you may be able to get away with a lower humidity inside the incubator (some will want to argue that outside humidity doesn't matter, and I can link you to the explanation of why it *does* matter, or you can just trust me that it does, lol). But for best results, you really will do best with higher humidity. We're only telling you this because we're all rooting for you, and want you to have an awesome hatch. :) Keep us posted!
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Not always

I live in Texas where during the summer we are normally in drought conditions with extremely LOW humidity.. my hens have hatched out eggs fine and I also have incubated AND hatched dry with success rates of 100%

The difference is the incubator being used. I CAN dry hatch in my reptipro with NO lockdown.. meaning I can open the door several times a day during incubation AND hatch. Mainly because of the placement of the fan as well as the fact that the chicks give off plenty of moisture as they hatch. With my incubator being pretty air tight I HAVE to open the door several times during the day (and occasionally at night) so the chicks do not die from carbon dioxide poisoning. So for my reptipro incubator I do not have "lockdown" because it isn't needed.

Now having said that.. I CAN NOT hatch dry in a Brinsea.. mainly again because of the placement of the fan. In the Brinsea the fan blows directly on the hatching chicks which dries out the membranes,. I have to bump the humidity way up and then still keep an eye on the hatching chicks.. So needless to say all the Brinseas went to the dump. Between being unreliable as well as the fan placement they were not worth the money I wasted on them

If you stop to think about it.. a chicken hen sitting on a nest of eggs does not dunk her behind in a tub of water at lockdown.. i have seen broody hens leave a nest of hatching eggs to go get something to eat.. now in a dry climate like we have here those eggs should never hatch if the humidity must be 60% or better.. in fact I have seen a relative humidity of 10% outside and have had chicks hatch out with the broody hen leaving the nest only to come back later to find she has had chicks hatch out in her absence...

the BEST thing to do is to monitor the eggs and see how they are doing in any particular incubator.. not every incubator will act the same and not all have been created equal... with some you are forced to go with a high humidity because of design flaws.. with others it is not an issue. So if the eggs have developed completely.. and the air cells are on track of where they should be.. let the eggs tell you if they need the extra humidity.. watch to see how the chicks are progressing .. and most importantly LEARN YOUR INCUBATOR and how it reacts to your climate.
 
Interesting and thoughtful post, yinepu. I always assumed the hens were maintaining humidity with the moisture from their own bodies, and monitoring distance from eggs, etc. I still think they may be doing something along those lines, but now you've got me thinking down different lines too.

Thinking aloud here... It makes sense that humidity wouldn't be the end-all be-all. At hatch time, it's really about moisture retention *in the membranes of the eggs.* Humidity wouldn't be the only way to maintain that. Air blowing will tend to dry things out faster--therefore, fans blowing on eggs will require a higher humidity. Ventilation tends to allow for greater evaporation... therefore, ventilated incubators will need a higher humidity...

Etc.

Which leads to your ultimate point, which is that everyone has to test this out for themselves with their incubator... in their circumstances... in their climate... etc.

Another day, another thing learned. Thank you.
 
P.S. YOU THREW AWAY A BRINSEA???????? AAAAAaaaaacccckkkk! lol I'd love to try one out. I hatch in a Hova. A Brinsea is on my "want" list. :) I'm assuming, however, that you mean you actually sold it... not just threw it away... right??!?

:)
 
iamcuriositycat said:
Glad to see it's coming up. Keep bringing it up! Dry incubation method applies to during the main portion of incubation... not during lockdown. Lockdown always needs high humidity. If you live in a humid climate, you may be able to get away with a lower humidity inside the incubator (some will want to argue that outside humidity doesn't matter, and I can link you to the explanation of why it *does* matter, or you can just trust me that it does, lol). But for best results, you really will do best with higher humidity. We're only telling you this because we're all rooting for you, and want you to have an awesome hatch. :) Keep us posted!
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Thanks! Ok- they have been as stable as they have ever been temp/humidity wise. They are at 101 with 50 percent humidity. I have to open it to do any adjusting. I've got sponges (non-soapy!!) I have a sprayer for the eggs. When the first on pips, I can't open and adjust anymore, right? And if they run the temp up to danger zone (104?),when they star hatching, should I open and adjust the temp, or let them hatch at that. I'm so glad that they are late, so I could get humidity up. Thanks!
 
hstlwombat said:
Thanks! Ok- they have been as stable as they have ever been temp/humidity wise. They are at 101 with 50 percent humidity. I have to open it to do any adjusting. I've got sponges (non-soapy!!) I have a sprayer for the eggs. When the first on pips, I can't open and adjust anymore, right? And if they run the temp up to danger zone (104?),when they star hatching, should I open and adjust the temp, or let them hatch at that. I'm so glad that they are late, so I could get humidity up. Thanks!
Click to expand...

OH- I should say- I didn't start the post- you guys might have been following another member that turned into me :) I just chimed in yesterday. But I do appreciate your help with this!
 

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