High humidity

[Mary Galbraith]

Just sat eggs yesterday evening. Before I set them the humidity was right 40% but after I sat he eggs it spiked up to 60% and I can't get it to go down. Is it important that I get it down? Will the humidity being high hurt the chicks. I've put dry rice and a dry sponge in over night but still nothing still at 60%. I have two different hydrometer both reading the same thing.
If it makes a difference it has been very rainy, in fact I'm thinking about going into mud farming as a profession jk.

 

[JaeG]

Your ambient humidity can impact your incubator humidity. Are the vents on your incubator open as that might help? Do you have a dehymidifier you could put on near it? Salt is also good at absorbing water but you'll have to change it frequently as it will reach its saturation level (it should look wet at that point but your hydrometer should show you when the humidity is creeping up again).

You do need to get it down a bit as the eggs need to lose a certain amount so that the air cell is big enough. If that doesn't grow enough there won't be enough oxygen in it to sustain the chick between internal and external pipping.

Here's a good chart of how the air cell should be looking as you go along:

 

[Mary Galbraith]

Your ambient humidity can impact your incubator humidity. Are the vents on your incubator open as that might help? Do you have a dehymidifier you could put on near it? Salt is also good at absorbing water but you'll have to change it frequently as it will reach its saturation level (it should look wet at that point but your hydrometer should show you when the humidity is creeping up again).

You do need to get it down a bit as the eggs need to lose a certain amount so that the air cell is big enough. If that doesn't grow enough there won't be enough oxygen in it to sustain the chick between internal and external pipping.

Here's a good chart of how the air cell should be looking as you go along:

View attachment 1276548

One of the vents is opened the other is closed because I was having some trouble keeping the heat.

 

[Mary Galbraith]

Your ambient humidity can impact your incubator humidity. Are the vents on your incubator open as that might help? Do you have a dehymidifier you could put on near it? Salt is also good at absorbing water but you'll have to change it frequently as it will reach its saturation level (it should look wet at that point but your hydrometer should show you when the humidity is creeping up again).

You do need to get it down a bit as the eggs need to lose a certain amount so that the air cell is big enough. If that doesn't grow enough there won't be enough oxygen in it to sustain the chick between internal and external pipping.

Here's a good chart of how the air cell should be looking as you go along:

View attachment 1276548

But I will open it and see what happens.

 

[JaeG]

Incubators can be frustrating things sometimes!

 

[Mary Galbraith]

Incubators can be frustrating things sometimes!

Yes, yes they can