Help! High Humidity throughout incubation

[oregonkat]

Thank you I feel pretty dumb about the whole thing and so guilty that now all these little chicks might drown I did as you suggested and put a sock with rice in and covered one of the grooves. Right now humidity is at 57% and hopefully it will come down more!



I appreciate the clarity. I might have figured it out but given my track record who knows

Please don't beat yourself up. I know that it doesn't make any difference to have folks tell you that, you feel awful anyway. We have all done this stuff, and then there's me who has had several botched hatches and done similar things, solely through thinking that I could out smart Mother Nature. Incubation is an artificial activity and it is only through lots of experience and failures that we can manage to learn how to at least control the artifice and hopefully produce some happy, healthy chicks.

It is very important to have gadgets that you can rely on for this. Humidity and temp. are the most important things to control as you have now discovered. Calibrate both hygrometer and thermometer so you know exactly what is going on, and if not exact, at least within safe limits. Good luck on your next hatch, don't give up. Hatching, as you will come to realize, is totally addicting.

 

[Elizabeth777]

Please don't beat yourself up. I know that it doesn't make any difference to have folks tell you that, you feel awful anyway. We have all done this stuff, and then there's me who has had several botched hatches and done similar things, solely through thinking that I could out smart Mother Nature. Incubation is an artificial activity and it is only through lots of experience and failures that we can manage to learn how to at least control the artifice and hopefully produce some happy, healthy chicks.

It is very important to have gadgets that you can rely on for this. Humidity and temp. are the most important things to control as you have now discovered. Calibrate both hygrometer and thermometer so you know exactly what is going on, and if not exact, at least within safe limits. Good luck on your next hatch, don't give up. Hatching, as you will come to realize, is totally addicting.

Thank you We will definitely be trying again soon! Thankfully my sweet neighbour has a steady supply of eggs we can try on for now! Still hoping at least a few of these guys make it

 

[WVduckchick]

Please don't beat yourself up. I know that it doesn't make any difference to have folks tell you that, you feel awful anyway. We have all done this stuff, and then there's me who has had several botched hatches and done similar things, solely through thinking that I could out smart Mother Nature. Incubation is an artificial activity and it is only through lots of experience and failures that we can manage to learn how to at least control the artifice and hopefully produce some happy, healthy chicks.

It is very important to have gadgets that you can rely on for this. Humidity and temp. are the most important things to control as you have now discovered. Calibrate both hygrometer and thermometer so you know exactly what is going on, and if not exact, at least within safe limits. Good luck on your next hatch, don't give up. Hatching, as you will come to realize, is totally addicting.

Thank you We will definitely be trying again soon! Thankfully my sweet neighbour has a steady supply of eggs we can try on for now! Still hoping at least a few of these guys make it

I hope you will let us know how it goes. Hopeful for some chickie babies.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We will definitely be trying again soon! Thankfully my sweet neighbour has a steady supply of eggs we can try on for now!

Have you already decided what you will do with all the extra cockerels?

That's a whole lot of eggs... and they all look pretty small. Do you know if they are all bantam?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have read that an incubation that has had high humidity throughout tends to grow chicks that are larger than normal and are therefore unable to turn correctly when the time comes. Please correct me if this is not valid information.

That sounds about right.

There is just sooo much information... it's difficult remember everything. Thank you.

 

[Elizabeth777]

I hope you will let us know how it goes. Hopeful for some chickie babies.

I will definitely keep updating Hopefully with good newse So far no changes to the eggs and right now humidity is getting a little high again (73%). I still have the rice in there so hoping it levels out again!

 

[Elizabeth777]

That's a whole lot of eggs... and they all look pretty small. Do you know if they are all bantam?

I gave no idea what any of them other except for the really small ones. I was told they are Silkies I will ask my neighbour about the others

Sorry to ask, but what is a cockerel?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I still have the rice in there so hoping it levels out again!

Is there condensation on your lid? If not your hygrometer may be lying...

Interesting to think about how to bring down humidity... please tell us about YOUR ambient humidity level, I think I might have missed your location somehow.

Anyways... if I was that high, I would consider making like a rice bag intake air filter or something to that effect.

We use rechargeable moisture things (desiccants) in our cars... or our back seat and carpets grow mildew. If I was going to incubate again in that humid an area, I would consider seeing how they worked.

Although drier total incubation will help prevent this heavy of worry in the future, and you already have that planned.

A cockerel is a young rooster and when many of them grow up and mature (12+ weeks usually some as early as 8) at that same time they aggressively (more like competitively and clumsily) mate every female in sight... usually the most docile... and take turns holding her down and knocking each other off to take more turns. It isn't actually the same thing as rape but when you see it happen, can be quite um... angering. If you at least have a separation plan, that will be good. But no shame in either eating them yourself or letting them feed someone else's family. And talk about a good lesson to know where our food comes from (on their level of course). Talking up front and early about what you will do with all the extra males can soften the blow. We knew all along that we wanted to eat ours... but it still took us a long time to be mentally ready to face the challenge. We have succeeded, even though we DID wonder if it would turn us vegetarian. Fortunately it didn't... because I really like hatching and I knew I couldn't continue to do so without a plan in place. Yep... we eat our Silkie boys! I did find someone who will process for me for $5 each, and still as humanely as I can. Though we did have to do them ourselves' first.. with LOTS of BYC support and information. But it's a skill I am sooo thankful to have so that if any of my birds get injured or the like, past the point of simple repair... then I can help them out without extra suffering on their part.

So to wrap it up... cockerel and pullet are the correct terms for chickens under 1 year old. Then they are referred to as hen and rooster. BUT... it's my understanding that rooster is not an accepted term at shows and they are called cocks, more accurately. My family still uses the term roo in casual conversation even though we know it is technically like slang.

 

[Elizabeth777]

ONE IS PEEPING!!!!! Should i do anything? What should i look for? AHHHH I'm so excited but so nervous!! Can it still drown? Is there anything i should do? Any and all help appreciated

 

[oregonkat]

Firstly, take a nice deep calming breath. Now freak out.... no, no just kidding. Did it pip in the right end of the egg? In other words, in the air cell end or is it low down on the side somewhere? Don't do anything for a while. They can take a day or so to zip so don't panic if not much more happens for a little bit. The chicks rest after pipping initially and work on absorbing all the rest of the blood and yolk. Do, however, keep an eye on it to make sure that it does actually make progress over the next day. Lets call on the experts about the potential for drowning.... @WVduckchick, @KikisGirls what do you think?