First hatch went in this AM! Humidity question! :)

[MrsMorrisClass]

Hi all! I set up our classroom incubator yesterday - came in today and temp is perfect at 100.0 but humidity was near 70. So I used a pipette and sucked an ounce or so of water out (HOW do people usually do this, remove water, anyway? We have a digital incubator with auto turner so I have to get down under that and through the mesh with a pipette and suck it out lol).

ANYWAY, I added the eggs anyway to get started since we have it counted out just right. The humidity is staying at 65% or so. Which, from numerous instructions I saw that days 1-18 should be 45-55, and up to 65 at hatch time. I'm reading conflicting info...

Is 65 okay during these initial days? What can high humidity too early cause? Should I go in and suck more out now? I read not to open at all the first 24 hours eggs are in.

I'm SO GLAD to have found this useful community! I am hoping our first hatch is a success.

Lauren

 

[SunHwaKwon]

My recommendation is to start with NO water and only add water if necessary. I generally do not add any water until day 18.

 

[MrsMorrisClass]

Well nuts, I'm already past that point... I guess at this point my main question is is 65% okay during early days and/or is it okay for me to pop it open and suck out some of the water today?

 

[Chicken Chat]

If it was me, I would not start out at 65%. At that humidity the eggs are not going to lose the appropriate amount of weight and your chicks can grow too large. I like to go a little dryer at around 35% and then bump up to 65% at lockdown.

 

[MrsMorrisClass]

Meh... okay. They've only been in about 4 hours... I'll go take out as much water as I can and hopefully they'll be alright. How soon can I candle to see if they're duds? lol

 

[SunHwaKwon]

It won't hurt anything to take them out and empty the water. The hen does get off the nest at least once a day, after all.

 

[MrsMorrisClass]

Thanks @SunHwaKwon , I have to remember that chicks hatch in the wild every day in worse conditions lol. I feel like I have to "go by the book", but the books all say different stuff!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Thanks @SunHwaKwon , I have to remember that chicks hatch in the wild every day in worse conditions lol. I feel like I have to "go by the book", but the books all say different stuff!

A lot of us do, especially when we are just starting out. We certainly don't want to lose the babies or have them hatch unhealthy, so we use the "by the book" guidelines as insurance and a lifeline. I don't have children, but I'm sure its much like the difference between that first pregnancy and the rest, where with the first you are stressed and reading/googling everything, and buying everything imaginable in preparation for the child lol

 

[MrsMorrisClass]

So now I have taken ALL the water out of the little reservoirs at the bottom, let it sit a couple hours and STILL at 63. I don't know how to reduce humidity any further...

 

[feedman77]

If your humidity gauge is right. You could put a couple jars of rice in to help draw put some moisture.