Hatching peahen eggs

[Zohaib]

I have a bunch of peacocks last year i have collected about 150 eggs in whole season but hatched only 35 and survived only 2.this year i got a still air incubator i placed the eggs each day in it my 9 chicks hatched successfully but 1 piped and half Zipp the egg and died i guess the humidity was high and chick suffocates what should i do to prevent from this happening again? I put the water pan out but hygrometer still shows 67,68% humidity :-(

 

[DylansMom]

I have a bunch of peacocks last year i have collected about 150 eggs in whole season but hatched only 35 and survived only 2.this year i got a still air incubator i placed the eggs each day in it my 9 chicks hatched successfully but 1 piped and half Zipp the egg and died i guess the humidity was high and chick suffocates what should i do to prevent from this happening again? I put the water pan out but hygrometer still shows 67,68% humidity :-(

You actually need high humidity during the pip and zip, last 3 days. If the humidity is too low as they are hatching the membranes will dry out and become very sticky and the chick will get stuck and not be able to turn inside the egg. During hatch I try to get my humidity up around 80% or higher if possible. 50% humidity for the first 25 days of incubation.

 

[Garden Peas]

You actually need high humidity during the pip and zip, last 3 days. If the humidity is too low as they are hatching the membranes will dry out and become very sticky and the chick will get stuck and not be able to turn inside the egg. During hatch I try to get my humidity up around 80% or higher if possible. 50% humidity for the first 25 days of incubation.

I totally agree -- except that now that I am living at a much higher elevation, it turns out the higher humidity results in the chickies up here at high elevations not getting enough oxygen. Up here, I have had to go down to about 60 - 65% during hatching. So there is a factor of elevation -- I am presently living over 5000 feet, which creates problems. But for sea level and as high as 3000 feet, I think @DylansMom is exactly right, higher humidity helps keep chicks from drying out.

 

[DylansMom]

I totally agree -- except that now that I am living at a much higher elevation, it turns out the higher humidity results in the chickies up here at high elevations not getting enough oxygen. Up here, I have had to go down to about 60 - 65% during hatching. So there is a factor of elevation -- I am presently living over 5000 feet, which creates problems. But for sea level and as high as 3000 feet, I think @DylansMom is exactly right, higher humidity helps keep chicks from drying out.

Good to know! This is another example that what works for one person may not work for another. It is hard to give people advice when we know their location, altitude, relative humidity etc.... can all affect their eggs and how they need to be incubated.