ok so i read the little pamplet that came with the bator and it said to disinfect the eggs with a special disinfectant...what is it and i cant seem to keep the humidity at 50ish it is a still air and when i filled the troughs it spiked to 70-80 so i emptied the two smaller ones and it didnt go down...no rush on this info eggs arent here yet was just giving the old bator a test drive xD
Quote:First, get to know your ambient humidity conditions. Depedning on your locale you may need to add very litte water - maybe even none. youre shooting for 45-60% Rh for the first 18 days and 65% the last three. You can also affect Rh in still air units by opening and closing the vents. The more open, the less humid it will be. I dunno nuttin about disinfecting eggs. Id toss that pamphlet. If they are dirty or have little speck or two on them, use a bit of steel wool to remove it. A the outside, just touch them up with a dampened sponge. But hosing them down with disinfectant? Nope.
Never heard of disinfecting your eggs before..have never done that for mine, you'd wash away the protective layer on the egg that helps keep bacteria out etc. Good luck with getting your humidity stable... it can be tricky at times.
Never did that with my eggs either and they ones that hatched are all doing fine I had one really dirty one just hatch out in fact. I asked my friend who has hatched for MANY years if I should wash it...she say nope. So I just let it be...it hatched too.
Trying to disinfect the egg will probably do more harm than good. Even if it is dirty, it has natural oils that protect it from contamination. Use a bit of sand paper or steel wool to remove any tough stuck on poop. I owned a commercial hatchery and we never washed or disinfected the eggs. Good luck!!