How come everyone else has fluffy chicks and mine are ugly? :)

[CluckyCharms]

the slim is from improper humidity during incubation. If the eggs are not allowed to loose enough moisture weight the chicks can come out sticky covered in slimy goop. we are in FL, all bators regardless of brand are kept 30% or less during incubation and bumped to 70% at lockdown. It can be done, and requires some work. Also if you have never calibrated your hygrometer you wont know where your humidity is really running at.

I was leaning more toward humidity as well. Our two hygrometers are reading at 40% mostly...from day 1 to 18 (or right around there). You're saying 30% or less ..so could you possibly define how one with a still-air incubator in a high-humidity climate is to do that? I already have more holes pierced through the styrofoam, in addition to having two "minifans" drawing air out of it and dispersing it through the house. It's easy to bring up humidity - but I'm not sure how to decrease it any more than I already have. Thanks!

 

[aoxa]

the slim is from improper humidity during incubation. If the eggs are not allowed to loose enough moisture weight the chicks can come out sticky covered in slimy goop. we are in FL, all bators regardless of brand are kept 30% or less during incubation and bumped to 70% at lockdown. It can be done, and requires some work. Also if you have never calibrated your hygrometer you wont know where your humidity is really running at.

I was leaning more toward humidity as well.  Our two hygrometers are reading at 40% mostly...from day 1 to 18 (or right around there).  You're saying 30% or less ..so could you possibly define how one with a still-air incubator in a high-humidity climate is to do that?  I already have more holes pierced through the styrofoam, in addition to having two "minifans" drawing air out of it and dispersing it through the house.  It's easy to bring up humidity - but I'm not sure how to decrease it any more than I already have.  Thanks!

Our humidity here is really high. My incubator humidity this morning was 27%.

Humidity right now is 84% outside.

You could run a dehumidifier near your incubator?

 

[Tammy N]

You can use a damp Very little water paper I used Brawney way back when to get some of the sticky off them but be very gentile use the tips of thumb and fore finger to get the feathers in the towl. But again Be very careful not to pull out feathers . thats just a show trick i used to use when babies would be with mom at the show a 4H show

 

[Roxannemc]

Yeah its sticky chick.low or high something is wrong.I have had 10 hatches and the last had my first sticky chick
.Didnt know why he wasnt drying LOL
Thing is dont know why as i didnt do a thing different but it hatched day 22 so may not have paid a lot of attention to opening the bator and humidity after the others hatched earlier as my first day 22 chick hatch..
3 days later it died Wasnt eating or couldnt but tried i dont know,tried to dropper feed which often works for me but it didnt just didnt growSAd.
So ajust your humidity higher or lower and see how it works I think i woulstry higher first last few days. See how it works
GOOD LUCK!