Hands on hatching and help

[Laurel Meadows]

I read earlier that if you plan on removing the chicks before they have all hatched that it was better to have higher humidity, like around 75 percent. Would you agree with this or do you think it's to high?

IMHO, this depends on your incubator and one's definition of opening the incubator. Plastic bators tend to hold humidity better than styrofoam in my experience. I might lose 5% rh when I open the Brinsea quickly.
The styrofoam can lose 7-10% when I open it.

Also, opening the lid a few inches to quickly take a chick out or pull an egg to evaluate or assist should be ok at 75% provided that your hygrometer is accurate/ calibrated. Opening it longer periods of time and more often can cause a lot more instability with your humidity. Keep in mind if you also have chicks who have already hatched recently, your humidity will climb. 75% lockdown starting point would make me nervous because I'll gain another 10% when a chick hatches. I aim for 65% when I start lockdown.

Knowing your incubator's tendencies takes time and it's ok if the numbers aren't exact- we all tweak our methods as we go and find a range that works for us.

You must live in a very very dry environment. If I incubated at 50-55%, they would all drown. I use 25-35%.

No number is good for everyone. Watching air cells does work for everyone! Everyone needs to find what works for them!

X3

 

[slordaz]

IMHO, this depends on your incubator and one's definition of opening the incubator. Plastic bators tend to hold humidity better than styrofoam in my experience. I might lose 5% rh when I open the Brinsea quickly.
The styrofoam can lose 7-10% when I open it.

Also, opening the lid a few inches to quickly take a chick out or pull an egg to evaluate or assist should be ok at 75% provided that your hygrometer is accurate/ calibrated. Opening it longer periods of time and more often can cause a lot more instability with your humidity. Keep in mind if you also have chicks who have already hatched recently, your humidity will climb. 75% lockdown starting point would make me nervous because I'll gain another 10% when a chick hatches. I aim for 65% when I start lockdown.

Knowing your incubator's tendencies takes time and it's ok if the numbers aren't exact- we all tweak our methods as we go and find a range that works for us.
X3

not so sure about that, if I have to open quickly mine only looses 1-2 % but at high altitudes seems my hatches go better if my humidity is at 75-80. can hit 90+ without adding anymore when they start hatching

I am hatching in an LG

 

[Laurel Meadows]

not so sure about that, if I have to open quickly mine only looses 1-2 % but at high altitudes seems my hatches go better if my humidity is at 75-80. can hit 90+ without adding anymore when they start hatching

I am hatching in an LG

I wish I only lost 1-2% in my hovabator that would sure make things easier!

 

[slordaz]

well the styrafoam one has been a pain in my *** but so far just starting day 21 with amylynns help have gotten more hatched already than the others. just trying not to have to open at all, sometimes hard to see inside though. This time only candles once the whole time too

 

[Blooie]

@AmyLynn2374 That Blooie is a fine looking chick....just a fine looking chick! Yep, I mean, that is one good looking chick! They are all cute, but boy, that Blooie.......fine looking chick!

 

[Laurel Meadows]

well the styrafoam one has been a pain in my *** but so far just starting day 21 with amylynns help have gotten more hatched already than the others. just trying not to have to open at all, sometimes hard to see inside though. This time only candles once the whole time too

Those styro bators can be very tempermental, 2 hatches back I was ready to throw my hovabator out the window lol. This last time I had my best hatch ever on shipped eggs. Crazy.
Glad things are going better for you this time around!

 

[ShanandGem]

Congrats on all the new babies! It's such a relief when they hatch safe and sound, isn't it?
I am looking forward to my next hatch. I'm only about a month from my lavender cuckoo Opringtons starting to lay and I can't wait to bring some of those babies into the world.

 

[slordaz]

yep good thing was smart and added lost of stones in the bowl to keep humidity up, the 2 hatched didn't even have to show them they went over and started drinking. patiently waiting now for the other 19 eggs to get with the program

 

[AmyLynn2374]

IMHO, this depends on your incubator and one's definition of opening the incubator. Plastic bators tend to hold humidity better than styrofoam in my experience. I might lose 5% rh when I open the Brinsea quickly.
The styrofoam can lose 7-10% when I open it.

Also, opening the lid a few inches to quickly take a chick out or pull an egg to evaluate or assist should be ok at 75% provided that your hygrometer is accurate/ calibrated. Opening it longer periods of time and more often can cause a lot more instability with your humidity. Keep in mind if you also have chicks who have already hatched recently, your humidity will climb. 75% lockdown starting point would make me nervous because I'll gain another 10% when a chick hatches. I aim for 65% when I start lockdown.

Knowing your incubator's tendencies takes time and it's ok if the numbers aren't exact- we all tweak our methods as we go and find a range that works for us.
X3

I use an old Little Giant 9200. Just opening to grab out chicks or flipping pippers back over I rarely loose more than 2-3%. But I also when possible cheat and pop out the viewing window (and yes, usually burn myself on the heating unit, but it doesn't faze me anymore...lol) instead of lifting the top.

I start at 75% and yes it will shoot up 85%+ during hatches, but I use the extra humidity as the perfect times to do my meddling and it comes right back down. I definitely don't think 75% to start is needed for hands off hatchers. If you are keeping the bator shut, you don't generally need 75%+ whatever it is going to jump to with hatching too.

not so sure about that, if I have to open quickly mine only looses 1-2 % but at high altitudes seems my hatches go better if my humidity is at 75-80. can hit 90+ without adding anymore when they start hatching

I am hatching in an LG

HIgh elevations does warrant higher humdity. It's so funny how something as seemingly simple as altitude can have such a different effect onsomething like hatching or baking.

well the styrafoam one has been a pain in my *** but so far just starting day 21 with amylynns help have gotten more hatched already than the others. just trying not to have to open at all, sometimes hard to see inside though. This time only candles once the whole time too

So glad you are starting to see an improvement in rates!

@AmyLynn2374 That Blooie is a fine looking chick....just a fine looking chick! Yep, I mean, that is one good looking chick! They are all cute, but boy, that Blooie.......fine looking chick!

Yes, she is....I hope it's a she! lol

Those styro bators can be very tempermental, 2 hatches back I was ready to throw my hovabator out the window lol. This last time I had my best hatch ever on shipped eggs. Crazy.
Glad things are going better for you this time around!

Do you have the 1588? I seldom see people not liking their hovabators. I want the 1583. The one Ruby just got. I love the viewing window, but I don't want the digital components of the 1588. I've seen a handful of people that do use higher than 65% at hatch have problems with the higher humidity throwing off the controls and having to reset the system.

 

[tracyjg]

Has any one ever used those humidity pads.do they work better then a house sponge that where's out pretty quickly. Would they be ok for live ducks near the nest. Would they work better in incubator they come in a set of 10.