High Humidity First week of Incubation

[Allstarnb]

I have been going off of my incubators hydrometer keeping it at 55%. I bought a new one today and I've been keeping it at about 65% or maybe higher at times. It's been 8 days and all 42 eggs look to be developing, some more than others, but will high humidity hurt them?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes. High humidity during the first 18 days will harm the chicks, and possibly kill them. The egg need to loose around 14% of it's weight, and develop a nice big air cell. Too much humidity during the first 18 days will prevent that. the chick may grow too big to be able to move into position to pip into an air cell which is too small, and doesn't hold enough air for the chick to breath for the approximately 24 hours between internal and external pipping. And if an egg is too wet, when the chick does pierce into the air cell, instead of getting his first breath of air, he gets a breath full of water and drowns. Please read the threads on "dry hatching". Hatch success goes up by keeping the humidity down to 30 - 40% during the first 18 days.

 

[Allstarnb]

Well it's been 7 days and I now have the humidity down to 35%. Will they make it?

 

[Allstarnb]

I woke up with it at 30%. Should I keep it there? Will they be ok?

 

[Allstarnb]

I just hate to see all my chicks developing and then when it comes time they drown.

 

[mortie]

I don't think any of us can say yes they will make it or no they won't. There are a lot of factors at work here. You are doing your best and that's all you can do. Keep us updated and good luck with your hatch!

 

[Allstarnb]

Is 30% the right thing to do though?

 

[mortie]

Depends on who you ask. I personally would let it stay there

 

[Allstarnb]

That's what I'm thinking! My next hatch will fore sure be a dry hatch. I just hope this will dry the egg out enough to grow the air cell!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I too have to agree. No one can yes or no to them hatching. I would also keep the humidty down at 30% because you have been running high for 8 days. This should counter balance the earlier high humidty. Humidty should be an average over the entire incubation period. As you are only day 8/9 you still have time for the air sacs to grow large enough for the chick to pip into safely. I would be more concerned if you had found the humidity had been running high on day 18 or late on into incubation you would have not had time then to correct it. Many people who dry hatch like to keep their humidity above 25% so at 30% I think you will be fine.
Have you checked your air sac growth? This can be a good indicator on your humidty. If the air sacs look to big for the said day of candling the humidty is too low and the egg is losing too much moisture then you should raise the humidty. If they look too small they are not losing enough moisture amd you should lower the humidty. Here is a chart for air sac growth on the said days of incubation

Good luck