Humidity and lockdown question

[HenHoneyGirl]

Hello, I'm really excited!! I'm at day 14 for my turkey eggs and day 7 for my chicken eggs. Everything is looking good so far but I started wondering, lots of you referr to the last 4 or 5 days of incubation as lock down. I know you're supposed to increase the humidity to about 65-70% at that time and to keep it between 55-60% during the majority of the incubation and have been doing that by refilling the troughs every evening or late afternoon, depending on how humid it is outside. Durring the "lockdown" should I not refill the troughs every evening? should I find another means to keep things humid in there over the 4 days? Would it kill the eggs to have the bator opened for just a minute?
Thanks!
-a first time chick hatcher

 

[chicapee]

Hello, I'm really excited!! I'm at day 14 for my turkey eggs and day 7 for my chicken eggs. Everything is looking good so far but I started wondering, lots of you referr to the last 4 or 5 days of incubation as lock down. I know you're supposed to increase the humidity to about 65-70% at that time and to keep it between 55-60% during the majority of the incubation and have been doing that by refilling the troughs every evening or late afternoon, depending on how humid it is outside. Durring the "lockdown" should I not refill the troughs every evening? should I find another means to keep things humid in there over the 4 days? Would it kill the eggs to have the bator opened for just a minute?
Thanks!
-a first time chick hatcher

Hello, it is very exciting hatching eggs. I love it. Many people here would say that humidity for the first 18 days is rather high. I personally run mine between 35 and 45%. Have you candled your eggs to determine the size of the air cells. Your eggs will need to lose 11-13% weight from the evaporation of moisture to pent the chicks drowning in the egg. I am also new to incubating, I am doing my 2nd hatch of turkeys and chickens I set the eggs last saturday. Humidity for the last 3 days should be between 65 and 75%. Good luck.

 

[chicapee]

Hello, it is very exciting hatching eggs. I love it. Many people here would say that humidity for the first 18 days is rather high. I personally run mine between 35 and 45%. Have you candled your eggs to determine the size of the air cells. Your eggs will need to lose 11-13% weight from the evaporation of moisture to prevent the chicks drowning in the egg. I am also new to incubating, I am doing my 2nd hatch of turkeys and chickens I set the eggs last saturday. Humidity for the last 3 days should be between 65 and 75%. Good luck.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Opening the incubator results in an immediate loss of humidity. Small incubators don't have any humidity to spare. You can use a rubber ball syringe or large hypodermic needle to add water to your incubator. That way you wont lose your humidity by opening the incubator just squirt the water into the proper place through an air vent hole. Don't forget to use 100 degree water so that you don't start wild temperature swings. If you think that a chicken is unintelligent, then how much more stupid is a brainless incubator?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello, I'm really excited!! I'm at day 14 for my turkey eggs and day 7 for my chicken eggs. Everything is looking good so far but I started wondering, lots of you referr to the last 4 or 5 days of incubation as lock down. I know you're supposed to increase the humidity to about 65-70% at that time and to keep it between 55-60% during the majority of the incubation and have been doing that by refilling the troughs every evening or late afternoon, depending on how humid it is outside. Durring the "lockdown" should I not refill the troughs every evening? should I find another means to keep things humid in there over the 4 days? Would it kill the eggs to have the bator opened for just a minute?
Thanks!
-a first time chick hatcher

Hi and

.

First let's address your humidity quotes. I highly agree with chicapee on the fact that 55-60% humidity is too high during the first 17 days, especially if you are using a styrofoam bator. I myself aim for 30-35% and monitor my air cells to know if it needs adjusting. For more info you can check this out: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity if you are interested. I believe that low humidity incubations are much better and this method I swear by providing you have a checked/accurate thermometer and hygrometer.

Now, about lockdown. I prefer 75% at lockdown, but I am a meddler. I open my incubator during the hatch to remove chicks and shells and assist if I feel it's absolutely necessary. So because I do open my bator frequently during the hatch, I need to make sure that my humidity stays up in a safe range and I have found that 75% is that for me. (I have never had a chick pip or start zipping and die in the shell.) If you are hands off and believe all evil will befall you if you open the incubator, then you can easily run at 65% with a safe environement to the eggs.

Adding water during lockdown. If the eggs have not pipped there is no harm in openening the bator and it is better to open to add water and keep the humidity up than to let the humidity fall and cause complications during hatch. The biggest threat is if you have eggs pipping or zipping and your humidity is not adequate and you are opening the bator. This holds the greatest threat of causeing complication to hatching eggs. If you have high humidity and your bator recovers humidity quickly, then openening it poses a rare threat. Like I said, I open frequently DURING hatch with no ill effects, but I take greater precautions to do so.

As stated you can get around opening the bator if you uncomfortable doing so, (I am a big advocate for doing what you are comfortable doing regardless of other's opinions as long as it is working for you and your chicks.) by using a straw or syringe and adding water through the vent holes. Many people will place a sponge under the vents so they can sipher water through a tube or syringe to the sponge and not have to open the bator during lockdown.

Good luck on your hatch!

 

[HenHoneyGirl]

Oh thank you for all the opinions! Now I won't agonize so much about keeping the humidity between 55 and 60! I did candle my turkey eggs and they seem to be coming along well I did let it drop to between 35-40 and I'll candle everything tonight to make sure the chicken eggs look good and the turkeys are still looking okay!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Oh thank you for all the opinions! Now I won't agonize so much about keeping the humidity between 55 and 60! I did candle my turkey eggs and they seem to be coming along well I did let it drop to between 35-40 and I'll candle everything tonight to make sure the chicken eggs look good and the turkeys are still looking okay!

Good luck and keep us posted!