Humidity problems

[MJ1900]

I have a Janoel12 Magicfly auto egg incubator and the extra digital meter monitor (magicfly). First let me say something that I just figured out and is kinda funny as a first time hatcher. I was looking at my temperature instead of the humidity on my digital meter! Lord help me and my baby chicks! So, always check the correct "mode" especially when someone could of possibly touched it like my grandkids yesterday!

So it is day 14! I have candled with my magicfly egg candle. There is movement in all 8 eggs and some more than others. My BIG question is and there seems to be a lot of people asking, but it is hard for me to follow the links, as a newcomer, Am I to understand that on day 18th I should raise the Humidity?

Also, how often can I candle my eggs, as there are various answers throughout the internet and I want to stay in this forum?

I have not got the level of fluid marked on the egg but definitely have been watching it but I think it looks good.

The humidity has ranged from 45-50% and the temperature 38c

I will be asking questions next week about the hatching process to get advise!

Thanks ever so much

 

[JaeG]

Check your air cells are big enough.

If they look good up the humidity to at least 60%. If not maybe reduce the humidity if possible (but keep it above 25%) for a day or two then check the air cells again.

From this point on the chicks will be getting into their hatch position so it's important to leave the eggs alone (remove them from their turner) and if you do candle try and keep them in the position they are lying in so the chicks don't get confused and put themselves in the wrong position to hatch properly. You may see the eggs wriggle and that's the chicks turning and getting into the right position. If confused they can attempt to turn around again and get themselves stuck.

Humidity is something that is different for everyone so what works for one person won't for another. So you have to experiment and figure out what's right for your climate. Fingers crossed for a successful hatch.

 

[MJ1900]

Thank you. That helps. So on day 18th take out turner and lay them down and don't move them at that point, correct. They are on their sides now and when I take the turner out I am assuming it does not matter as long as I do not bother them, correct?
Thanks again

 

[JaeG]

That's right - on their sides is fine. They use the term 'lockdown' from day 18 but I don't overly like that term (it's not jail!). If you need to open the incubator to ensure everything is as it should be, do so, but once you can see that the chicks are pipping keep it closed, especially if you are in a very dry climate.

That being said our little hens thought nothing of hopping off their pipping eggs to grab a drink or snack when they hatched some eggs for us. Though it was reasonably humid at the time so I figured they knew what they were doing.