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

[Jamie821]

congrats Dipsy Doodle. What is anything can we come up with that that happens. I incubated at high humidities when I started incubating years ago and was lucky to get one of two chicks to hatch and they were soaked. Took forever to dry and the rest pipped and died in the egg. That was out of fourty eggs or more and that wasnt just once but every hatch I had. My sister in law went to work for tyson chicken hatchery and i was talking to her some years ago and she told me the humidity and temp they hatch at and so I tried it. That is when I started having 90 percent hatches. this is so weird to me. what was you humidity during the first eighteen days

 

[Jamie821]

It probablydid panner and just might again. The gander got me one time a couple of years ago and boy I had a bruise on my back side for a long time. Thought i could outrun him but forgot he was a strong flier. Couldnt get him to understand I just wanted to see the babies. Maybe if I crawl they wont see me . I have till late spring to come up with a plan

 

[Suellyn]

Quote:
"But satisfaction brought him back"

Jamie821 maybe you should start working on making a goose costume for yourself, WELL PADDED!!!!

PS: Dipsy... I like your disclaimer, funny!!!

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Didn't curiosity kill the cat?

Might have killed the cat, but didn't kill the chicks.

what was you humidity during the first eighteen days

I add water to the troughs every 3rd day (LG with fan and turner). I don't keep a hygrometer in the incubator now, but when I did --- it would be low --- like high 40's and then down to low 20's and then I'd add more water and back to 45-ish%.
I should add, I've been incubating and hatching eggs from this same set-up WEEKLY since Oct '05.

Lisa​

 

[Jamie821]

I see then maybe its the humidity in the first eighteen days that does damage. This is something to try to figure out. You run your humidity like i do in the first 18 days its just the end that is so different. You are getting your evaporation you need when you need it. Just something else to figure out I guess

 

[seminolewind]

Been doing alot of scientific hatchery reading. Here's some of the stuff I found:
Eggs must lose about 12% of their weight by day 18-19. If you have an egg turner you can weigh the whole thing. Heck, you could weigh the whole styrofoam incubator at startup, and so forth.

Hens that lay at high elevations make less pourous shell. So that may affect hatchability if you get eggs from one altitude and hatch in another.

Atmospheric/barometric pressure also effects what the embryo needs in regard to heat, humidity, and esp. air requirements. Air pressure is an important factor in how much oxygen an embryo is really getting.

The higher the altitude, the lower the barometric/air pressure, the lower the O2 tension, the increase in loss of water and CO2

Ground shipping may be a much better way of shipping due to the air pressure and temp changes of flying.

Buster's increased humidity was probably needed at his altitude.

I have also read that it may be a good thing to drop the temp 1 degree the last 3 days because dying from overheating is common.

I am just repeating here what I have read. My opinions are not included here, except for the comment on Buster's humidity.

 

[Jamie821]

good info some of that makes alot of sense. will now have to see where I get eggs from if I get shipped eggs and see if there is a difference , Right now only hatching local eggs . It would also be something to check into .

 

[seminolewind]

Some hatcheries at higher altitudes actually give their eggs extra oxygen

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
I do not think weighing the whole incubator would work because you are adding water and water is evaporating etc. best to stick to just weighing the eggs ..

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Very interesting information there. Thank you Seminolewind. The elevation of the town I live near is 4633 feet above sea level. When I Googled Niota, TN, it came up with several responses that varied between 867 to 1007. That's at least 3626 feet difference in altitudes. Your information makes a lot of sense to me. I've been trying to figure out how the results are so wildly different and that's the closest anyone has come to making sense of it for me.

By the way, I incubated this last hatch at 75% all the way through. The eggs in the Sportsman are being incubated with about the same %. I have 23 eggs in the hatching compartment now. They are due to hatch on Tuesday.