First Time Hatch Questions about humidity

[kindir]

I have a LG Still Air incubator and candled the eggs today at Day 8. I think my humidity is too low because the air sac looks too big based on photos I've seen of other eggs at this stage.

So, being the person I am, the first thing I did was panic. Next, I jacked up the humidity (about 10 minutes ago), and then realized instead of just randomly acting I should probably ask what to do. Should I just get the humidity up to 50%? I think, based upon today's readings, that it's been running at about 35%. Or should I get it up above what it should be for a few days to stop the air sac from getting larger? Maybe 65% for a few days and then bring it back down again?

My other more random question: Is there a particular point where things tend to go wrong for the incubation process? for instance, after candling it looks like most of my eggs are viable, so if they've made it to Day 8 is there a good chance that they will live or do most incubations fail toward the middle or end if they are going to fail?

So many questions... thanks for any information - I want to learn to get this right!

 

[JordanFamily]

35% isn't to low for chicken eggs... I it was me I would keep it around 40-45% until lockdown and you should be fine. Remember to increase it to around 65%-70% for lockdown... Good Luck...

 

[kid-n-chickens]

As far as the humidity I would get it up to like 55% for a couple three days then back it down to 50% until day 18 then hatch at 60-70%. This is just what I have done to get better hatch rates as at 35-40% mine was getting dried in the shell.

As far as when it would go wrong. From all the hatches I have done this year if they start developing they typically make it to lock down sometimes for what ever reason they dont all hatch (like shrinkwrapping b/c of low humidity) but last hatch started with 19 egg 2 was clear, 1 quit after day 14 and 1 didnt hatch. I only candle on day 14 and 18 b/c I dont have a very good light, and dont want to handle the eggs much and jar the embryos. So if you got them developing you got half the battle won. This of coarse is just what I have seen in my incubations/hatches and is only my opinion.

 

[babsbag]

I thought my bantie eggs had large air cells as well. I was running at 35% max on the humidity. I upped it to 65-75 at lockdown. 9 out of 10 hatched ok, and the other one was an early quitter.

Have you calibrated your hygrometer so that you know your readings are correct? Personally, I wouldn't panic. If you really are at 35% I think you are ok.

Here are a couple of articles on incubation that might anwswer some of your questions.
http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_pipped.html

http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/troubleshooting_incubation.pdf

It seems to me that a lot of people lose their chicks during lockdown. I don't know why, I am sure that there are many different reasons. High humidity during incubation is one of them, as is lack of ventilation, and humidity dropping during hatch. I kept my humidity very high during lockdown. I opened the incubator more than once during that time, but I misted the inside of the incubator with warm water when I did that. I never had my humidity go below 65% during lockdown, and once I had it over 80%. I actually opened it a crack to let some out

I am not convinced that having the hatched chicks running all over the eggs is helpful either. Next time I will hatch in an egg carton. I didn't like them getting kicked around and I built a last minute holder for my last 4, that was one reason I opened the incubator. I don't think that my broody hen has the chicks playing soccer with her eggs. (she just hatched out another 9 chicks for me )

I am not expert, far from it. Maybe I just had beginners luck. I would like to do another hatch, but I don't need anymore chickens.

Good luck, and have fun, and ask questions.

 

[kindir]

Thanks, I got the humidity up to 50% but can't get it any higher. The only reason I could get it to 50% was by adding soaked pieces of sponge. Hard to get much else in there with the egg turner. So I'm going to stick with the 50% now and once I take the egg turner out for lockdown will get the humidity up higher.

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!!

 

[kid-n-chickens]

Hey I also use an LG still air to hatch with and in order to get the humidity up above 50% for lock down I have to put a tray about 2.5"wide by 7"long filled with water and a sponge cut in half saturated(put all this under the wire floor when you go into lock down. You might also consider getting non slip rubber shelf liner to cover the wire with it keeps the eggs from rolling as bad when bumped by the newly hatched babies its like rolling and egg on carpet vs. vinyl.