Humidity, change it or not?

[erijn5]

I have a Hovabator 1602N w/ automatic turners...Sat. I am to take the eggs off the turners.. I have kept the temp at 99-100 with humd. at 50-55. Do I really need to raid my humidity in between 60-65 on day 18? If so I'm just making sure!! Thanks

 

[Panther Creek Poultry]

I always raise my humidity at hatch, but i also make sure that they have adequate ventilation.

Sheila

 

[erijn5]

Should I take it up to 60-65 then...or just upper 50's? since the chicks will change the humidity anyway?

 

[streemers]

i didnt do it and mine all died

 

[peaceful]

I have a Hova-Bator 1602N also. My instructions say to fill trough C throughout and fill both C and T 2 to 3 days before the hatch. It doesn't specify the humidity level this creates. HOWEVER these are the careful instructions for a circulated air model and our model is a "thermal air flow". Elsewhere it says if it is a thermal air keep trough T filled at all times. So now I'm confused! I just started a batch of eggs in the incubator today. I'll do some research. Does anyone know?

 

[Chickbait]

I have eggs in the 1602 N also (no fan, hand turning)

My third hatch is almost due and this time around I am following the direction that came with the bator, figured what the hell, see if it works.

 

[peaceful]

So Chickbait are your instructions also for the circulated air model? Did you follow them (have water in trough C until the end, then put water in both T and C) and did it work well for you before? Because elsewhere it says for themal air to have water in trough T.

 

[OCchickens]

You could try raising the humidity gradually - I just drip it into the trough putting a drinking straw through the plug holes without opening the bator.
Just put in as much as you need to get to 60-65 % on the humidity gauge.
I wouldn't put too much stock in what the instructions say.

What do your air cells look like? If you've been running 50-55% it's possible they're kind of small & you may want to hold off raising the humidity, or even dry the bator off, until you first the first pip, to give the eggs a chance to dehydrate more.

If you use this method, use the hottest water you can get out of the tap to raise the humidity quickly after you see the first pip.

 

[peaceful]

After careful reading and re-reading of the instructions (poorly written!), it seems that we (Hova-Bator thermal air incubator users) are instructed to put water in trough T (unless you live in a high humidity area) for the incubation and then in the last 2 or 3 days fill both troughs (C and T) with water. The high humidity is needed for the hatch at the end.
(Sorry I don't know what this means in terms of your humidity readings, but the humidity level should be higher in the last couple of days than what you are supposed to keep it at during the rest of the incubation)

 

[erijn5]

Well yesterday was the first time I ever opened the bator, except for adding water...and we candled the eggs just to see how progress was. All of the developing eggs looked good. Good veining, air sacks, you could see the chicks moving around..It was so exciting!!!

I think we will raise the humidity...I would hate to loose any if all of the them to to that. Thanks for all the help, please keep any suggestions coming..they are all greatly appreciated!!!