Humidity--how high is too high during hatching?

[chicksgalore]

I'm getting ready to start another batch of eggs and I have a humidity question. On my last hatch, I had the humidity between 70-75% but during the busiest time when a lot of chicks were hatching at once, it went up to 85% and even higher because it took out the board in my hygrometer (which only goes up to 85%) so at that point I couldn't measure it anymore. I'm just wondering if at that point, the humidity may have harmed the eggs that had yet to pip. I had several eggs with fully developed chicks but no pips.

If the humidity was too high, what do you do? I've always heard stressed how you should NOT open the incubator--any help?

 

[DANNY]

It cmmonly goes up during hatching and will go back down. You should be fine.

 

[swtangel321]

On day 18 try to get the hum 60%-65% that way when the chicks pip and start to hatch it will only go up to 70ish !! I up mine to 60% and while the hatch is going it usally gets about 65%-68%

If your hum gets to high the chicks could drown in there shells while hatching !!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
The high humidity during hatch wouldn't harm them unless they did pip the air cell. Sometimes, high humidity can cause there to be a build-up of moisture inside the air cell, causing the chick to drown upon pipping. If the eggs hadn't pipped at all, it had nothing to do with the humidity.

 

[chicksgalore]

Just for my clarity, doesn't pipping mean when they actually "break through" the shell? I always thought they would drown before breaking through the shell because they couldn't break through soon enough. Once they break through and their beak is out, how do they drown? Sorry, I just don't think I have a clear picture on this!

 

[rizq]

There are two pips. First, the internal pip into the aircell and then the external pip through the shell. I believe you would have to open them up to see if the pipped the air cell (and thus could have drowned) or if they are still curled up and never even tried to hatch (died from something other than drowning because of humidity). Personally, I have never had the guts to look

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Me either.But you can candle the unhatched eggs to see if they have pipped internally. I don't bother opening them, because I figure it's not going to tell me anything anyway. A dead chick is a dead chick, no reason to check for me.

 

[rizq]

Hmm ... I did not know you could see it by candling. I have never tried. Good to know

I might have to try that next time I have a problem.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah, you can see their beaks inside the air cell if you candle it from the big end. That's about all the 'eggtopsy' that I do, unless I have a lot of undeveloped, or barely developed, eggs. Then I'll open them, just to see if there was any development. I get to do this on some goose eggs soon. I know they aren't developing, but I'm putting it off for as long as possible!

 

[emvickrey]

I always do an eggopsy. I want to now what happened. How far they got before something went wrong. Mine didn't pip the air sac. they just died a few dsys before finishing up. They still have yolk in the egg. Most of the yolks are all over the place, broken I call it. No youlk sac. Just a dark colored yolk and very runny. Doesn't stink though so not rotten. I wish I know what was happening. I could solve it and have better hatches.

I guess trial and error but unfortunately there are dead babies to show for the mistakes. I would rather have live babies. I'm trying to build my flock and to have 2 here and 3 there and all different ages makes it difficult with space since I can't just put them all in the coop with the adults. They get picked on.

I am about to be able to put my teenagers in the coop soon. The adults have quit trying to hurt them. I let them all out at the same time and the adults will sneak over to wehre the youngsters are and try to hurt them. Today I noticed that they went to investigate but didn't even bother with the violence. But the youngsters did try to hurt the babies. I have 2 taht are almost 5 weeks old and then 2 at nearing 3 weeks and 1 at 2 weeks. The 3 youngest get along great but I didn't try to put them with the ones that are just a bit older. Midget is so small and helpless, i'm afraid she will get picked on. She has a buddy that always protects her. She will peck at me when I go to take them out to clean their cage.

Well, I'm rambling again and it is after midnight and my dog has to have a bath so I have to get off here.