Humidity for Black Copper Marans and other breeds... Help please

[Egghead_Jr]

If my humidity goes over 65% my chicks start sticking to the shells at hatch. Everyone tells you not to open the incubator at hatching but if you don't the humidity from drying chicks will soar. That leads to the unhatched chicks getting sticky membranes. I don't remove the lid completely but do lift it some to let out excess moisture, hence I take chicks out all the time during hatching and sometime just lift the lid to lower humidity. I get much better results keep humidity under 65%.

To get the proper weight loss, air sac size, 30% works for me for the first 18 days. I use a shot glass for water too. One glass fits to side of turner and for my house gives 30% in incubator. If 35% then they don't loose enough weight so have to let it dry out for two to three days then put shot glass back in. For me a coffee cup works best to give 60% during hatch.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

What works for some doesn't always work for others. There's a person here on BYC that put the incubator at 45-50% and leaves it there the entire time. Works for them. My thought on that is the lower humidity at hatch is aiding a lot.

My last batch with a turner and my own eggs was 100% hatch.

 

[mattsinger]

@phishless13 did you get some eggs to set?

 

[phishless13]

@phishless13 did you get some eggs to set?

I did... In the incubator since Sunday eve. Humidity at around 30%. Incubator is in my basement which is around 45% humidity. Upstairs is to dry from the wood stoves burning....