Humidity in Bator...EXCELLENT INFO HERE! EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS!

[Griffox]

I can vouch for Moodene's syringe idea. I've been using it since day 1 and I couldn't imagine doing it any other way. I have a 10 ml syringe (which actually holds 12mls) and some aquarium tubing from the pet store. I add 12mls anytime the humidity drops below 25%. That is usually all I need to add each day. It's great to not have to lift the lid to add water and MUCH simpler than taking all the eggs out if you need to remove water.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! The only time the humidity under the hens *here* jumps up is when a just-hatched wet chick wallows on the hygrometer.
For 'artificial incubation', I use the semi-dry method --- 45%-ish and lower during the first 18 days and 65%-ish til hatch.
For what it's worth, I don't keep a hygrometer in the incubator anymore. I just add water to the trough when it goes dry (about every third day).

Merry Christmas!
Lisa

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
Well, you're doing something right Dipsy!!

Glad to know that about the humidity under a hen...Merry Christmas to you to!!

 

[Wheaties]

Interesting input from Lisa on the hygrometer under a broody. I am curious to the detailed steps you took to gain the knowledge you got from the experiment Lisa. How many readings did you take per day? Did you begin on day one and proceed through day 21? I also see that you are in South Carolina. You would not happen to be near the sea where the sea air may change the atmosphere a bit would you. Jamie821 is doing the experiment here in Tennessee and has started from day one and is doing several readings a day. I will not spoil her fun by sharing what she is getting with you. She wants several days reading before she reveals them, so be patient gang! Maybe we can learn from some of the things you did on the experiment and compare notes.
Suellyn, in referring to the Mandrill, I was talking about looks! LOL! However, now that you mentioned it, I do recall seeing some attitude and fangs! LOL!
Kinnip, I want to try and address your questions. I grew up in a home with a wood stove during the winter. It is pure heck to try and maintain a good humidity in a home where a wood stove is being used because it is dry heat. When putting duck eggs under a hen, you are basically using the dry hatch method because that hen is not going to change the humidity by taking a dip in the cement pond with Jethro and Ellemae. However, I have to say that I have never used the dry hatch method in an incubator for duck eggs. I actually have only set duck eggs in a bator 1 time and that was when I first ever used a bator or ever saw a duck egg. I am sure there was a whole lot more going on with why I only got 1 egg to hatch out of 20. My theory is that the dry hatch will work for duck eggs, but the humidity needs to be increased a bit more at hatch to about 60% to 65%. I agree with oldtimegator in that you should stop slaving to that bator and give it more attention on days 26 through 28. If the humidity is low in the bator, pulling the plug will make it drop lower. You may actually need to put a plug in if one is out. If not, try adding humidity to the room by setting a large kettle of water on the wood stove or getting a humidifier. The dry heat being pulled through the bator from the room is dropping the humidity in the bator. However, I still do not think there is a lot to worry about so quickly. Just do not allow it to go below 20% for more than a few hours. I would relax a bit and hang in there. I hope I was helpful!
Moodene, I met you on the chat forum the other night. Good to talk with you here. You are from Texas right? I like the needle idea! You would not happen to be a nurse by chance would you?
I am having so much fun here and at the same time, I hope that others are learning for I know that I am!

 

[Jamie821]

ok guys this is what I am finding so far. I also numbered the eggs so I could tell just how much she moves them around and if It just turning eggs or changing location of eggs. Number one thing I have found so far is this hen knows what she is doing but I dont but I am starting to understand one thing. Some how the hen knows that the warmest and highest humidity is in the middle so no egg is where i put it. Number one egg that was in the middle is now on the outside them when I checked again number one egg is back towards the middle. No egg stays in the same place to long. Monday I just got one reading and that was around 9:15 am humitidity was 41%, Tuesday morning 43% aftenoon 40% and at feed time she came off the next for no more then 4 minutes but the humidity dropped to 33%, She was funny she got off the next did her business first then ran to the water then ran to the food Never seen a chicken eat so fast then started back for the nest changed her mind ran back to the water one quick drink again then back to the nest and then proceeded to move all the eggs again.

 

[magikchick]

Very interesting information here. I handle humidity the way my gradmother did. Put a cup of water in and add some more when it gets low. She hatched hundreds of chicks in an old tin incubator using this method.

 

[serendipity22]

I've had way better hatches when the humidity is lower. Now, granted, I don't have a high dollar hygrometer or incubator and I live near the coast. But my best hatches are when I have little or no water in the incubator and then just a little added when I see a pip. My inaccurate hygrometer seems to stay in the 20s and 30s in the first days, and then in the 40's (and no higher than 55) in the last days. Now, I do have my incubator in a closet that is attached to a bathroom, so the humidity is highest there, due to the daily showers taken. If and when I do add water at the end , it is only maybe 3 tablespoons. And I run my incubator with the plugs out, so the chicks have maximum fresh air.

My first hatches, I tried to keep high humidity during the last days. Those were the stickiest little chicks that would get stuck to their eggs and be covered in yuck... Or I would lose them after they'd already pipped. Now, I do it Dry. Dry is good... But that's just my opinion.

**I would love to have a REALLY ACCURATE HYGROMETER to compare my findings to, but at this point, it isn't needed. Cause I've figured it out with my cheap one. But I will NEVER put cups of water with sponges and such in my little Styrofoam incubator again.

(My setup is a Styrofoam Incubator with an Auto Turner and forced air fan.)

 

[Suellyn]

Jamie821- I've been looking forward to your post/info!

The numbers you're getting so far seem on par with dry incubation, huh?
Do you mind if I ask a couple more things.....? Am curious what day the eggs are on, was Monday day 1? How many eggs? And what kind of eggs and what breed of broody (standard or banty?). And... how did you manage to rig up a hygrometer under a broody??? ...the Research Department at my Zoo would loooooooooove you!!

I know most of us are CRAZY BUSY this holiday season, so no rush! In fact, my in-laws are ALL coming over tonight, I should be cooking or cleaning the house, but this is much more interesting...

 

[william9792]

jamie821 keep up the good work, and keep us posted (please)

 

[Buster]

I just wanted to throw in that when my humidity has been too low I have had deformities in the feet and spraddle leg and low hatch rates. I had an old timer who uses Sportsman incubators to hatch in all the time (he hatches literally hundreds of chicks at a time) tell me that there is no such thing as too high of a humidity. So I tried that instead and had the best hatch rate I've had so far with no deformities. That was at about 75% humidity. I'm trying it again now and I'll keep you posted on what I get. Happy hatching!