Humidity?

[victor1800]

Hi just wondering if any of know if having your humidty up around 70%is to high? I just put my eggs in my incubator and filled my water tray and added 2 sponges. I will not add water till it lowers to 55%-65%.Last time I did a test run my humidty was much lower, strange do you think the eggs are raising the humidty? I am using the same room and temps are steady in there.

 

[debilorrah]

70% is way too high. In my opinion so is 55%. I usually run 20-35% days 1-18 and then 55% for hatching.

 

[NoseyChickens]

Are you in lock down or did you just set the eggs today? If you are just starting humidity should be about 40% Lock down at about 60%. You may want to take the sponges out and open one of the vent holes to let some of the water evaporate until it is where you want it to be.

 

[Keri78]

I agree...low humidity until lockdown.

You can read up on the "Dry Hatch Method" right from the BYC homepage. Good Luck, Keri

 

[victor1800]

What do you think should I pull the sponges out today? tonite when I get back from work if the humidty is still high? what will happen If I leave it high? I thought it might be better since I only read bad things about having them to dry.

 

[victor1800]

I just set them today.

 

[HEChicken]

Too high humidity causes fluid to build up inside the egg. When the chick internally pips, it is met by a gush of water and drowns. I think what you have heard about too low humidity has to do with shrink wrapping the chicks as they are trying to hatch. Higher humidity at hatch time IS important but the most common cause of shrink wrapping is opening the incubator too much after the egg has pipped.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Just telling you from my first experience last week on hatching....half of our chicks drowned from too high humidity. Was keeping it at 65 them 85 during lockdown. We used a lot of sponges and to be honest I think that was what cause most of the proble,...it was heart breaking to open all the eggs and find they drowned
Just set a new clutch of eggs keeping it at 44 humd. and 100 temp. At lockdown Humid-70. There is a wonderful page here on still air incubating which really helped me recognize the mistakes we made. A very informative page. Here is the link.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html I think this may be the page Keri78 spoke of. He makes it very easy to understand and also notes the differences if you are using one with a fan. 11-14 % moisture is lost from the egg which provides room for the chicks to move around for pipping. Good Luck!!!!

 

[victor1800]

Keeping the bator humidity at 40%-50% now and plan on raising to 65% last 3 days

thanks everyone

 

[thefamilyflock]

Good luck with your hatch!