Humidity ? need HELP ASAP. Hope didn't screw up hatch. On Day 19

[mustangsaguaro]

My eggs are on Day 19 and I hope I didn't screw up my hatch. I candled all my eggs on Day 17 and threw any out that were no good. On Day 18 I raised the humidity in my incubator but think I might be confusing myself here. I calibrated both of my hygrometers before I started incubating. And one was 6% high and the other was 10%. I did somewhat of a dry incubation. Where I live it is very dry so w/ no water in the incubator my hygro's were reading 5%-10% humidity. I know that is somewhat low. Maybe to low. So I added water to where my hygro's were reading around 35%. On Day 18 I tried raising to 65-70%. Well, now today my hygro's are reading 60% knowing that one of my hygro's is 10% high would that tell me in actuality the humidity is only 50%? I think I may be confusing myself so want those w/ a bit more experience to help. I have filled all the little water trough's w/ water as well as put 3 small sponges in there to get it up to 65-70%. And it's still reading at 60%. So, what else should I do to raise the humidity more? I need help asap. I hope I didn't kill all my chicks.

THanks

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

you can add a wet sponge to the tray or a bowl of water.

 

[tnchickenut]

I'd leave it alone. At this point you have it reading 60% and that is good enough.

Don't panic... I have seen chicks hatch after all sorts of things. Too many to list them all, but my point is... don't panic. Just set them in the hatcher as you have it.... and forget about it. And my experience is with thousands of chicks at this point (darn it, I should have kept count).

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Quote:
Don't forget my one hygro is 10% off/high. And it is reading 60% at 10% off/high. So, if I'm doing my math correctly isn't that really only at 50%? If so should I still worry or not? I thought it needed to be at 65-70% for hatching? Or is there really a wide range of percentage of what people do use for hatching?

Thanks

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
60% is good. I have an article on hatching and can e-mail it to you if you want to pm me your address.

I personally don't like to use more than one thermo or hygrometer cuz they just confuse things. Don Schrider of ALBC and author recommends averaging the two and go with that. Me I just use one and pray.


Hope things work out,

Rancher

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
Don't forget my one hygro is 10% off/high. And it is reading 60% at 10% off/high. So, if I'm doing my math correctly isn't that really only at 50%? If so should I still worry or not? I thought it needed to be at 65-70% for hatching? Or is there really a wide range of percentage of what people do use for hatching?

Thanks

Leave it alone. You are alright. The last chicks that hatched here were in the incubator turner... 25% humidity. Your stressing.... I have had two chicks hatch without the top of their shell... their momma crushed them around day 19 and I pealed off the broken top and kept them moist for three days while they kept developing.

Just leave it be. They will hatch... if they developed this far, they are doing alright. The only thing that concerns me is your 10% humidity durring the first 19 days. But again, if they developed then ok. Leave it... 50% 60% 70% is fine.... even 40% wouldn't be horrible.

 

[TriciaHowe]

Having it too high is worse than too low. I would leave it be and not mess with it. I never have mine over 50% - even for ducks.

 

[eggbuster]

Forget the humidity. I forgot my whole hatch this time. Got busy with hay and found out I didn't write down when I set the eggs and couldn't remember when they were due to hatch. Didn't put in water/hygrometer at all, tipped the incubator once or twice a day for turning. This morning, I went into the bathroom and voila! chicks hatching. They seem to be doing much better then when I did the humidity/lock down/nursemaid thing. Nice clean shells no fuss no muss.

When I had the humidity at 50-60% for lock down before, I had a lot of chicks die after pipping and they were slow to dry and now I think maybe, swollen from too much humidity. I put a hygrometer under a broody and she didn't register more then 20% humidity and she got off the nest during lock down as well. Relax. If its your day to have a decent hatch you will get one. Even broodies don't have fantastic hatches every time.

For those who have foam incubators, I do, and problems with temp. fluctuations, some may worry too much and make too many adjustments. The only adjustment to make is evening out the room temp. it is sitting in. The rest will take care of itself if you don't keep trying to adjust the bator temp. If you have lost track of the incubator temp due to too many adjustments, take the eggs out, wrap them in a warm(not hot) towel from the dryer and get the incubator reset. When you are happy with the temp. put the eggs back in and don't touch temp. control again. If the temp spikes, just pop the lid for a bit.

The problem is with room air fluctuations. Keep a thermometer in the room where it counts. Make a note of the room temp. at which your incubator is happiest and then concentrate on maintaining that temp. instead of the bator temp. Much easier to make room temp. adjustments without harming eggs. For me, I keep a heater in the bathroom and if is getting cool in there and the bator is cycling on and off a lot, I will turn on the heater for a bit. If the temp. is climbing in the bator, I open the bathroom door to let the room cool. Nothing needs to be jumped on. It will be o.k. or its already too late to worry.

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Leave it alone. You are alright. The last chicks that hatched here were in the incubator turner... 25% humidity. Your stressing.... I have had two chicks hatch without the top of their shell... their momma crushed them around day 19 and I pealed off the broken top and kept them moist for three days while they kept developing.

Just leave it be. They will hatch... if they developed this far, they are doing alright. The only thing that concerns me is your 10% humidity durring the first 19 days. But again, if they developed then ok. Leave it... 50% 60% 70% is fine.... even 40% wouldn't be horrible.

I think you misunderstood what I said about the 10% humidity. When there is no water in the incubator it's at 5-10%. I made sure I put water in and had the humidity to at least 35% during the first 18 days. For right now I'm leaving things alone, per everyones advice. I just hope to god I get something to hatch. I hatched 13 chicks earlier this year. 26 made it to lock down but only 13 hatched total. I'm hoping I get at least 5 to hatch. Obviously more would be nice.

Thanks again​