GQF 1588 Humidity Question

[HickoryGuy]

Alright folks, I just finished my first hatch in the Genesis 1588. Out of 42 eggs set, 24 went to lockdown & 21 hatched. And that's with shipped eggs. The others never developed or quit very early on. Things went pretty well, but I would still like to tweak my method & improve my rate.

The Genesis instructions don't mention it, but it seems from my reading here that the red vent plug should be removed Days 1-18. Is this correct? Thinking I was doing the right thing, I left mine in the whole time w/ the center compartment filled. Humidity ran high, around 60-65%. By the time I realized just how high that was compared to what most people run, I was already 12+ days in & just stuck with my current M.O.

The vent plug was also left in for lockdown. Humidity was around 75-80% with both compartments filled. Only 3 eggs looked fully developed, but didn't hatch. I didn't open them to study them afterwards. I now realize these levels were too high & I was fortunate to have the success that I did.

I'm getting ready to set some local eggs in about a week and want to maximize my hatch. Thanks for any information or insight you can provide.

 

[Heidi]

I also have a GQF 1588 and have had wonderful hatches. Day 1 - 18 I keep my humidity between 50% to 35% - the minute the Acurite says 35% I add water to the tray below. On day 19 I increase the humidity to 65% and try to keep it around there until the chicks start hatching. I keep the red plug in until the chicks start hatching and the humidity reaches 75% at that time I pull it. During the lock down time (day 18 -21) I add water thru the red plug area with a turkey baster. I have a cloth or sponge under the plug area to catch the water inside the bator. Hope that was helpful. Good luck w/ your next batch of eggs.