Humidity & hatching question

[kelar]

I've been using the genesis 1588 with turner this year (instead of my hens) & it seems to be quite good at holding temp and humidity. I've been running the incubation period at about 45-50% humidity & lockdown at 65-75%. My problem is with late quitters - chicks dying right around day 18 which makes me believe it has something to do with humidity. I seldom have chicks die when I hatch them under the hens. I've read that some people run humidity much lower and others much higher so no sure what, if anything I should change. Any suggestions?

 

[ranchhand]

Just keep trying, I guess I'd go with lower humidity first. Hope it works out!

 

[Keri78]

I do the same 45-50% up until "lockdown" and then 65% till hatch time. Usually humid spikes alot while their hatching out. I just don't let it get over 85-90%. I use a medicine dropper and squirt water through the vent holes to keep the humidity up during the hatch. Also scotch tape works wonders to cover and uncover the vents to control the humid. I plop all of my eggs in a cardboard egg carton...big end up...cut holes through the bottom of each "holder" and that seems to make for fast hatches(typically). I think the carton does a great job of holding the eggs in place just like a big fat Mama hen would while her little peeps were hatching out! At first I was concerned that the carton would cause a problem for them after they were out....but so far no complaints!!!

They tend to sleep alot anyway for the 1st 48 hrs. so the carton isn't really an issue at all. It's fun to watch them hatch that way because they peck one little hole in the shell and zip a straight line right around the egg an WAHLAH!!!