Humidity problems? Or our eggs are just weird

[Jikaaa]

I don't understand why our eggs; chicken, duck, turkey, etc, die the moment the humidity gets to 50-55.

Here's a few data to see this situation lol :

BATCH A (Silkies)
- Set at 37.9°C and 45-55% humidity, all eggs developed well but only half made it past the first week

BATCH B (Silkies w/ Turkey)
- Set at 37.8°C and 25-35% humidity. All eggs made it to the second week but the weight loss was to big, so I set the humidity to 45-50% in hopes of preventing any more weight loss. Guess what? 60% of them died

BATCH C (Silkies, Turkeys, Geese)
- Set at 37.8°C and 25-35% humidity. 80% of the eggs hatched, compared to the other batches that yielded only around 40% or less, this was the very dangerously low humidity but bountiful hatch.

Am I missing something in the basics?? I live in a part of the Philippines where it gets really dry when it's summer. Could this possibly be the reason why my eggs refuse to hatch on 50% humidity?

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't have answers to your hatching,,,, Can you have a broody hen sit, and hatch some eggs??? Then that hatch would be considered a dry hatch.
Experiment,,, and do what gives you best results. What do other people in your area do??? and how are their results??

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[NatJ]

I don't understand why our eggs; chicken, duck, turkey, etc, die the moment the humidity gets to 50-55.

Here's a few data to see this situation lol :

BATCH A (Silkies)
- Set at 37.9°C and 45-55% humidity, all eggs developed well but only half made it past the first week

BATCH B (Silkies w/ Turkey)
- Set at 37.8°C and 25-35% humidity. All eggs made it to the second week but the weight loss was to big, so I set the humidity to 45-50% in hopes of preventing any more weight loss. Guess what? 60% of them died

BATCH C (Silkies, Turkeys, Geese)
- Set at 37.8°C and 25-35% humidity. 80% of the eggs hatched, compared to the other batches that yielded only around 40% or less, this was the very dangerously low humidity but bountiful hatch.

Am I missing something in the basics?? I live in a part of the Philippines where it gets really dry when it's summer. Could this possibly be the reason why my eggs refuse to hatch on 50% humidity?

Unfortunately, just like the other person who responded, I don't know WHY this is happening.

But since you have figured out what seems to work, I would suggest you keep doing what works for you & your eggs.

 

[Jikaaa]

I don't have answers to your hatching,,,, Can you have a broody hen sit, and hatch some eggs??? Then that hatch would be considered a dry hatch.
Experiment,,, and do what gives you best results. What do other people in your area do??? and how are their results??

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I’ve had a turkey hen brood a clutch of 16 on dead dry land excluding the dry dead leaves she used for the nest, the land was so dry that a small breeze made the soil fly. Despite the dryness, the hen managed to hatch 14 of them which surprised me lol. It’s just worrisome that the chicks get really small in the egg before pipping day.

 

[WVduckchick]

Could be with the dry nature of your climate, the hens have naturally adapted to it! So normal incubation needs to more closely mimic nature.
I’m curious if the egg shells are thin, thick, porous, heavy bloom? Anything odd about them?
Congrats on working it out though, incubating is always a bit of trial and error to start.

 

[Jikaaa]

Could be with the dry nature of your climate, the hens have naturally adapted to it! So normal incubation needs to more closely mimic nature.
I’m curious if the egg shells are thin, thick, porous, heavy bloom? Anything odd about them?
Congrats on working it out though, incubating is always a bit of trial and error to start.

theyre actually pretty thick, to the point where most of the chicks fail to hatch from the shell being a bit too hard lol. Also, I avoid using porous eggs as much as possible lol, its very disappointing for them to suddenly die from bad protection

 

[WVduckchick]

theyre actually pretty thick, to the point where most of the chicks fail to hatch from the shell being a bit too hard lol. Also, I avoid using porous eggs as much as possible lol, its very disappointing for them to suddenly die from bad protection

Interesting. Maybe the thicker shells are their way of compensating for the dry conditions. Thicker shells do lose moisture slower during incubation, so that makes sense. Thanks!