Humidity Experts---Help

[Phantom_Rooster]

This is my first hatching. I am on Day 13 and my air cells look like day 7 in the pic, some maybe even less. They are small. I have kept the water level per the instructions for my bator. It is the clear top octagon incubator made by Janoel as seen on _bay. I am not knocking the bator. I think it is awesome. It holds temp very, very, well. The humidity instructions could definitely be a little better though. I think they have it designed right, but lack in instructions. There is no mention about humidity levels. My humidity has been at about 55% until now. I blame myself for this, but I did follow the instructions. I think that I need to run dry and hope that my eggs look like the pic on lockdown. I just candled and still have 8 very lively embryos. The air cells just seem too small. Please tell me if my remedy to stop adding water is the right way to go. I just looked and I have 99.5° in the wiggler and 55% humidity. I am dumping water now. I will nudge this post until I hear what I need to know for the sake of these unborn babies. Please understand.

 

[mstricer]

I would just leave the water and not add any more to it. Until it gets more like 25-30ish. You should be alright someone with more experience might say different. You are doing the right thing by following the instructions.
Michele

 

[Barbedwirecat]

It's possible your eggs have not lost enough fluid. I had the same problem with a recent hatch. I got rid of my water and incubated dry at about 30-35% the rest of the time and had 10 out of 14 eggs hatch. I think if you try that you should be OK. I also delayed my lockdown 1 day because I still hadn't felt they had lost enough even then. I locked down right after the first PIP (and that one hatched great). Within a few hour of the hatch if you candle you should see and feel a significant weight difference and the air cell will dip down.

Check out pete55's way on doing it. Makes sense as long as you can monitor the eggs:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013

 

[Phantom_Rooster]

Quote:
mstricer and Barbedwirecat , thanks to both of you for your advice. I did pour out the water. My humidity is 25% for now. Isn't the goal for maintaining the humidity to have the right amount of air in the air cell at lockdown? I don't mean to sound stupid, but, am I right?

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Yes you are correct. But different eggs need different things, some do perfect at 50% humidity, and some don't. It can depend on the eggs shell, the size of the egg, the health of the bird laying, the porosity of the egg, and the air gas exchange ratio which can differ with each egg.

I go with the "listen to your eggs" school of thought, instead of playing it by the book. If you pay attention to what they are doing, you'll be able to tell what they need more than a piece of paper or a instruction booklet. The fact that you are monitoring the air cell alone tells me you are going the right way about it

Or at least the same way I do, which may not be right---but it's worked for me!

Try to keep you humidity at 30% and you should be good. It's not the amount of water you out in, but more the surface area. You can put a teensy bit of water in there and probably do good. Dry incubation works really well, but it can depend on the humidity of the air in your house weather. But really....don't stress. I think that's the most important part.

 

[hdowden]

from what i have read the humidity is to high if the eggs havent lost enough weight. i hope you have a good hatch

 

[mstricer]

Don't let it go below that, too low of humidity can cause problems also. No expert just saying. You are not stupid either. We learn from the things we don't know, always ask if unsure or google it. Google is your friend.

 

[hdowden]

i try and keep mine at 35-40% i only add water when the humidity gets around 28%. on here everyone has their own ways and ideas about humidity what works them may not work for us. this is my first incubation and so far so good. i asked about humidty and it seems that the medium that everyone says is 40, i got a lot of 35-45% do i try and keep it mainly around 40%. who knows i may need it to be higher or lower but that will take some time to find out what works best for my incubations.

i would try lowering the humidity to at least 30% and keep an eye on the air cell. lockdown i will be raising the humidity up to 65-70%.

did you calibarat the hydrometer to see if its telling you the correct humidity? when i did mine it was 6 off. so say if mine says 39% its actully 45%

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Me too. hdowden, I hope you get your eggs. I was hoping we would be setting at the same time.

 

[hdowden]

i'm still waiting for my d'uccle eggs they havent made it here yet and the tracking on them is bad. both the seller and i are quit upset at the post office...but i did put a marans egg in to test the temp and all and it looks like the egg was fertil its hard to see through the shell but it looks like its devolping