Hova-Bator 1602N still air help

[biteme2134]

Okay so I've scowered the forums and google and feel like I'm hatching wrong so I wanted to ask. I'm hatching chickens and this is about our 4th hatch. We've been steady at 75-85% hatch rates. Our rooster does good but the way I've been running this this is pretty much keeping the water tray full all hatch long. Anywhere from 60 - 80% humidity. That's where I've read I'm in the wrong. We live in mid Georgia so our humidity outside the Bator has been in the 60s on its own lately.
I'm scared to change my method to what I've read at 50% until day 18 then pull the Turner and fill the water as I don't was a bust for a hatch.
Any advice? Are my numbers right?
Oh and I set pretty steady at 99-100 degrees all hatch too. I'm on day 4 of saving eggs to run another hatch so I would have to change fast!

 

[AmericanMom]

Okay so I've scowered the forums and google and feel like I'm hatching wrong so I wanted to ask. I'm hatching chickens and this is about our 4th hatch. We've been steady at 75-85% hatch rates. Our rooster does good but the way I've been running this this is pretty much keeping the water tray full all hatch long. Anywhere from 60 - 80% humidity. That's where I've read I'm in the wrong. We live in mid Georgia so our humidity outside the Bator has been in the 60s on its own lately.
I'm scared to change my method to what I've read at 50% until day 18 then pull the Turner and fill the water as I don't was a bust for a hatch.
Any advice? Are my numbers right?
Oh and I set pretty steady at 99-100 degrees all hatch too. I'm on day 4 of saving eggs to run another hatch so I would have to change fast!

75-85% is very good numbers!!!
I have the same incubator and I run a dry incubation, I don't even track the humidity instead I rely on what the air cell development is at different stages of incubation... I have had three or four very bad hatches, setting 40 and getting anywhere from 8-12 to hatch... When I tried the dry incubation is was on some Turkey eggs, I had already lost one whole batch ( All fully formed ) then I took the leap into never adding any water and out of the 14 I set 12 hatched, not only did they hatch, they piped and zipped like champions. It was awesome! I am currently on day 3 of incubation of some test eggs (chicken) from my flock, I am curious about what the combination of roosters and hens I have will produce.

If I had always gotten your numbers I probably wouldn't have worried to much, but I was losing way to many chicks.

 

[biteme2134]

That was my thought too. Knew someone would like our numbers! We lost a a few flock members and were down to 3 hens to 1 rooster. So I didn't even check for fertility I just left em all in the Bator. I think we did 13 out of 14 then 8 out of 10 then 10 out of 14 and 13 out of 16 - seems like we always have 2 or 3 that look fully developed but don't hatch. It made me wonder if it was humidity and I could fix it. So with our hatch rate doing as good as its been we should just keep it up huh?
I did have the humidity drop on me once hatch and I noticed it at around 40 half way though the hatch. I filled the water and hoped I didn't screw them up. That hatch had a chick with a curled toe so I figured it was due to that day or two the humidity plunged... Think that was why?

 

[AmericanMom]

That was my thought too. Knew someone would like our numbers! We lost a a few flock members and were down to 3 hens to 1 rooster. So I didn't even check for fertility I just left em all in the Bator. I think we did 13 out of 14 then 8 out of 10 then 10 out of 14 and 13 out of 16 - seems like we always have 2 or 3 that look fully developed but don't hatch. It made me wonder if it was humidity and I could fix it. So with our hatch rate doing as good as its been we should just keep it up huh?
I did have the humidity drop on me once hatch and I noticed it at around 40 half way though the hatch. I filled the water and hoped I didn't screw them up. That hatch had a chick with a curled toe so I figured it was due to that day or two the humidity plunged... Think that was why?

Not sure, there are so many factors and I am certainly no expert... Its amazing to me that where I live (Willamette Valley) our humidity is around 50% and if I add any water my hatch rate is horrible, you live in a very humid environment and add water and get great rates... Crazy isn't it..

I almost wonder if you wanted to test the dry incubation if you might get a better hatch rate??

 

[biteme2134]

That's my wonder too. I just didn't want to lose a them all in a trial :-( also this hatch I've got about half pullet eggs so I'm not sure how good our numbers will be as is. If I change up the humidity I may not know the reason either way...

 

[AmericanMom]

That's my wonder too. I just didn't want to lose a them all in a trial :-( also this hatch I've got about half pullet eggs so I'm not sure how good our numbers will be as is. If I change up the humidity I may not know the reason either way...

Right, I meant a test hatch, not the one your on

I have about half pullet eggs too, they had been laying for about a month and I couldn't wait any longer

 

[biteme2134]

Oh gotcha. Maybe I'll do that then I don't lose everything