Humidity at Lockdown!

[Goldenlaceannie]

sumi,
I have candled them and checked their air sack. The air sac seemed to be a nice size, but this is the first time I have ever incubated eggs, and I am not sure exactly what the air sac should be like. The chicks were also moving and kicking in their eggs. The last time I candled them, I could hardly see anything because it was so full of chick. Thanks for your help!

Goldenlaceannie

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Adding water is ok. Use water as close to 100 degrees as you can. Put a tea towel, a clean wash rag or a sponge in the water to increase e rate of evaporation if you think you need to increase the humidity. Good luck. I think you will be fine but a little more humidity won't hurt.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Assuming that you have no eggs in your incubator other than the ones that are hatching now, a dry bulb temp of say 98 and a wet bulb temperature of 88 -90 degrees works well for me. In other words treat your incubator like it was a dedicated hatcher. If you don't feel comfortable making changes this late in the game, I think your chicks will still be fine. Just watch that humidity like a hawk watches chickens.

 

[sumi]

sumi,
I have candled them and checked their air sack. The air sac seemed to be a nice size, but this is the first time I have ever incubated eggs, and I am not sure exactly what the air sac should be like. The chicks were also moving and kicking in their eggs. The last time I candled them, I could hardly see anything because it was so full of chick. Thanks for your help!

Goldenlaceannie

Sorry! I thought the link I posted for you had an illustration in, my mistake. Here's an illustration of what the air sac's should look like ±:

 

[ZakoHero]

Adding water is ok. Use water as close to 100 degrees as you can. Put a tea towel, a clean wash rag or a sponge in the water to increase e rate of evaporation if you think you need to increase the humidity. Good luck. I think you will be fine but a little more humidity won't hurt.

I agree,opening it for a little bit wont do any harm but dont keep it open for a lot.

 

[ZakoHero]

Sorry! I thought the link I posted for you had an illustration in, my mistake. Here's an illustration of what the air sac's should look like ±:

Wow nice illustration sumi!

 

[Goldenlaceannie]

sumi,

Thanks!! You really have been a great help. Now I know ten times more than I did when I asked that question.

Goldenlaceannie

 

[sumi]

Glad I could help

Let us know how the hatch goes!

 

[surgerynut]

I candled today and have about 25 in the incubator which look viable. I had read somewhere that humidity in lockdown should be upped to 70-80 %. Is this correct?

 

[sumi]

I aim for humidity of 60-65% during lockdown. Once the chicks start hatching it goes up as they release moisture from the egg and when they start drying off. In my small incubator the humidity went up by around 8% just from one chick hatching!