HELP! Need advice regarding shelf liner, on day 20

[dcorrell]

This is my first experience with incubation. I have the Nurture Right 360. I have been following all the valuable advice here in these forums (THANKS btw!) and things have been progressing with my eggs pretty well. I have a mixed hatch of a few ayam cemani eggs and the rest silkies and their air cells seem pretty good. For the last 48 hours, after candling and removing bad eggs, I placed a shelf liner under my eggs. What I have found is that no matter what I tried doing (full water tray, warm sponges, closing air vent more), I could not get my humidity up past 60%. I have been holding humidity between 50-55% the entire time. WELL now I am feeling a little panicked because I removed the shelf liner to see if it would effect humidity and it did. Now I am at 68-69% with the vent fully open. I think the humidity levels now should be okay for hatch, right??? BUT, will my babies splay their little legs? Anyone else used this incubator without a shelf liner? Trying hard to do the right thing for my little darlings

 

[katiek77]

This is my first experience with incubation. I have the Nurture Right 360. I have been following all the valuable advice here in these forums (THANKS btw!) and things have been progressing with my eggs pretty well. I have a mixed hatch of a few ayam cemani eggs and the rest silkies and their air cells seem pretty good. For the last 48 hours, after candling and removing bad eggs, I placed a shelf liner under my eggs. What I have found is that no matter what I tried doing (full water tray, warm sponges, closing air vent more), I could not get my humidity up past 60%. I have been holding humidity between 50-55% the entire time. WELL now I am feeling a little panicked because I removed the shelf liner to see if it would effect humidity and it did. Now I am at 68-69% with the vent fully open. I think the humidity levels now should be okay for hatch, right??? BUT, will my babies splay their little legs? Anyone else used this incubator without a shelf liner? Trying hard to do the right thing for my little darlings

50-55% humidity would of been fine. I’m finishing up a hatch that I did 1-18 23-32% humidity and lockdown at 50-55% humidity. I hatched out 14 chicks within 13 hours with those numbers. I had a mat down the whole 21 days. My mat wasn’t thick at all though. You can see all the little holes in this pic. Also when I had two hatching at the same time my humidity went from 53 to 76. So be careful. High humidity at hatch can possibly cause some issues with umbilical cords and yolk sacs.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We hatch using broodies, in an area that always has high humidity, and although we have only hatched a few times, we really have not had any serious problems. Don't know if it's different with a bator. Bator hatchers will probably be more helpful. I think you can check the site for threads or articles on this issue. Good luck

 

[dcorrell]

50-55% humidity would of been fine. I’m finishing up a hatch that I did 1-18 23-32% humidity and lockdown at 50-55% humidity. I hatched out 14 chicks within 13 hours with those numbers. I had a mat down the whole 21 days. My mat wasn’t thick at all though. You can see all the little holes in this pic. Also when I had two hatching at the same time my humidity went from 53 to 76. So be careful. High humidity at hatch can possibly cause some issues with umbilical cords and yolk sacs.

50-55% humidity would of been fine. I’m finishing up a hatch that I did 1-18 23-32% humidity and lockdown at 50-55% humidity. I hatched out 14 chicks within 13 hours with those numbers. I had a mat down the whole 21 days. My mat wasn’t thick at all though. You can see all the little holes in this pic. Also when I had two hatching at the same time my humidity went from 53 to 76. So be careful. High humidity at hatch can possibly cause some issues with umbilical cords and yolk sacs.

THANKS so much for your advice! I think the problem is that the shelf liner is too thick. I will keep the air vent opened the whole way so it doesn't go up any higher until they hatch. And thanks for the pic. What a cutie!

 

[dcorrell]

We hatch using broodies, in an area that always has high humidity, and although we have only hatched a few times, we really have not had any serious problems. Don't know if it's different with a bator. Bator hatchers will probably be more helpful. I think you can check the site for threads or articles on this issue. Good luck

Thanks! The hope is that the Silkies will hatch and will not mind being our new incubators

 

[dcorrell]

Trying not to stress out but it is Day 21 and no pips or movement at all out of 22 eggs! I have been holding myself back from lock down afraid to let out heat and humidity. They were all fine on Day 18 with candling so I don't know what to make of it. ANY ADVICE would be appreciated

 

[katiek77]

Trying not to stress out but it is Day 21 and no pips or movement at all out of 22 eggs! I have been holding myself back from lock down afraid to let out heat and humidity. They were all fine on Day 18 with candling so I don't know what to make of it. ANY ADVICE would be appreciated

Did you make sure the nurture right temp was actually 99.5 by comparing it with another thermometer?

 

[katiek77]

Trying not to stress out but it is Day 21 and no pips or movement at all out of 22 eggs! I have been holding myself back from lock down afraid to let out heat and humidity. They were all fine on Day 18 with candling so I don't know what to make of it. ANY ADVICE would be appreciated

Also what hour are you in of your 21st day?

 

[dcorrell]

Did you make sure the nurture right temp was actually 99.5 by comparing it with another thermometer?

The incubator has been great about temp and humidity. I have not increased the temp at all during hatch. It also has rebounded very quickly any time I have opened it.

 

[dcorrell]

Also what hour are you in of your 21st day?

I place them in the incubator around 11:00 a.m. and it is almost 6:30 p.m. my time. BTW, thanks so much for helping me!!!