Humidity dropping during lockdown....

[tinylittlegrain]

Hi,

Today is day 21 in the chick household and since 18:00 last night (day 20), I've had 3 pips. This is my first hatch and I started with six but lost one sometime during week 1. The eggs were shipped to me and I am using a brinsea mini incubator, temp 37.7*c and 45% humidity. I am hatching silkies and thought that they were bantams so started lockdown on day 15 but day 18 came and went with nothing and so I guess I am now expecting large fowls! On day 15 I increased the humidity to 70% and kept that topped up - aiming to stop opening the incubator when I saw the first pip. Then I read that humidity should only be at 65% for hatching so I decreased it but then realised that I had put into lockdown too early so panicked but realised there was nothing I could do and now, after three pips, my humidity is falling below 65%!!! I don't know what to do! Should I open the incubator and increase the humidity but risk shrink wrapping the chicks or leave the humidity and hope all chicks hatch before it goes too low??? This is much more stress than I bargained for......... (but it will make the end result all the sweeter - if they make it!)

 

[Phunktacular]

The recommended humidity is approx. 65%. Don't stress about it dropping a little below. I hatch my eggs between 50-55% with nearly 90% hatches. Can't express enough that you shouldn't stress over it, it really isn't as relevant as you may think. It would be more detrimental if you open it and vacuum the birds in the shells.

 

[igorsMistress]

I would just keep an eye on things. When the pips turn to zips the humidity will increase.

Honestly, I had to open my incubator to add water and everyone was fine even though some had pipped, but it had dropped to about 40% overnight. You won't shrink wrap them in a few seconds if you add some water.

Nice job you're doing, only 1 loss with shipped eggs is pretty awesome!

You do know we'll need some pics right?

 

[cmfarm]

Bantam eggs don't hatch on day 18. They may hatch a day early, but they may hatch on day 21 too. I wouldn't worry too much about the humidity, just make sure it doesn't drop too much. In my opinion shrink wrapping has nothing to do with opening the incubator. It is something that happens in development. If there are a lot of shrink wrapped eggs then humidity was too low throughout incubation. If it is just a few then those eggs were to pourous and lost too much humidity on their own.

 

[tinylittlegrain]

All five of my chicks hatched with (almost) no problems and now I have a tub full of fluffs! There is no sign that humidity was ever a problem, they all fluffed up nicely and no shrink wrapping or drowning!

(photo of one of my babies)

 

[007Sean]

All five of my chicks hatched with (almost) no problems and now I have a tub full of fluffs! There is no sign that humidity was ever a problem, they all fluffed up nicely and no shrink wrapping or drowning!

(photo of one of my babies)

Congratulations!!!!