Humidity for multiple hatches

[MuscovyMad]

Hey

I set 1 egg in the incubator on Saturday, after a period of over excitement at my pullet laying her first ever egg

. And i am now collecting any other eggs she produces and i'm going to put them into the incubator on Saturday. (So 1 week after the initial egg).

What should i do about humidity when it comes to the first one hatching?

The incubator is a Covatutto 16 so apart from increasing the surface area underneath i can't control humidity that well.

Also as the eggs require manual turning it means i will be opening the incubator to turn eggs thoroughout the period where it is supposed to be left alone. Is this likely to cause a problem.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[MuscovyMad]

Anybody?

 

[DrRob]

All I can say the breeder who I know does not adjust the humidity at all through the entire incubation period and it seems to work ok for her as he hatch rate is over 95 percent.
But she also incubates a lot cooler than everyone else recommends - Temperature is set at 36.7 and Humidity at 45 percent (This is for chicken eggs - Large fowl and Bantams)

Just what I was told - that is all.

Regards

Dr Rob.

 

[midget_farms]

Bump the humidity up for the hatch of the first egg! I had a humidity nightmare with my first hatch - I couldn't get it over 40% +- & they were all sticky. Most just didn't hatch at all - fully developed.

The extra humidity will not hurt the other eggs - its only for a couple of days & then they will be in lock down too!

 

[sonjab314]

Beware of getting your humidity too hight though. Over 80% and your chicks can drown in the egg.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I hatch in egg cartons trying to prevent this

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Hope you don't mind me disagreeing, but I don't think this is factually correct. The way I understand it, as long as your humidity has been suitable over the first 18 or so days and the egg has lost enough moisture before going into lockdown, the chick won't drown no matter how high the humidity during lockdown Eggs will not regain lost moisture. What causes chicks to drown is humidity being too high over the first 18 days of incubation.

I've run my last two lockdowns at 80-90% and had my best hatch results yet. I've not had a chick drown. I've not had an even slightly soggy chick either.


As to the OP's question, you won't be able to do a standard lockdown due to having to open your bator to manually turn the other eggs throughout the supposed 'lockdown' period. You also don't want to subject all those other eggs to an extended period of high humidity as it will most likely have a negative effect on them. Normal lockdown is on day 18 for a day 21 hatch, which would mean nearly three days of high humidity. I think I'd maybe suggest that you stop turning this egg at the end of 18 as normal, but don't boost your humidity until the end of day 19. Then get it up as high as possible, to compensate for your having to open the bator a few times a day to turn the other eggs.

 

[jvls1942]

I would just concentrate on the latest set eggs,, very seldom does a first egg ever hatch anyhow..

 

[sonjab314]

Quote:
Hope you don't mind me disagreeing, but I don't think this is factually correct. The way I understand it, as long as your humidity has been suitable over the first 18 or so days and the egg has lost enough moisture before going into lockdown, the chick won't drown no matter how high the humidity during lockdown Eggs will not regain lost moisture. What causes chicks to drown is humidity being too high over the first 18 days of incubation.

I've run my last two lockdowns at 80-90% and had my best hatch results yet. I've not had a chick drown. I've not had an even slightly soggy chick either.


As to the OP's question, you won't be able to do a standard lockdown due to having to open your bator to manually turn the other eggs throughout the supposed 'lockdown' period. You also don't want to subject all those other eggs to an extended period of high humidity as it will most likely have a negative effect on them. Normal lockdown is on day 18 for a day 21 hatch, which would mean nearly three days of high humidity. I think I'd maybe suggest that you stop turning this egg at the end of 18 as normal, but don't boost your humidity until the end of day 19. Then get it up as high as possible, to compensate for your having to open the bator a few times a day to turn the other eggs.

I don't mind you disagreeing. That's what makes the world go round. That is how we learn by exploring other options.

 

[MuscovyMad]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

So to summarise i should hold off on raising humidity until day 19 of the first egg. Then raise it up high to counter the humidity lost from me opening the bator to turn the others.

Are the other eggs going to be okay by having the humidity high over days 12, 13 and 14 of their incubation? As it was mentioned that they could drown if the humidity is too high before day 18.

Also how does putting them in egg catrons prevent them from drowning?

Would it be worthwhile putting the newer eggs in cartons?

Sorry for all the extra questions. I'm just making the most of all your help.