Hygrometer temp vs. Incubator temp

[CrowHollowFarm]

I guess if you lived at my house you would have a lot of sleepless nights. I agree I do have a unique situation and it took years of trial and error, and everyone giving me advice before I got to this point. I heard all of the stories of "drownng" them and spent years of terrible hatches. So when I use my small incubator I follow those guidelines. I do have 2 GQF cabinet incubators and they pretty much take care of themselves for me as long as the temp is set at 102f. Oh and by the way PD. Riverman can you please give symptoms to let all of us inexperienced people know how to tell the humidity is to high at certain points in the hatch. I mean it's easy for people to just make a blank statement that it's to high, but it would be nice to hear what that looks like. Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge.

 

[Pyxis]

can you please give symptoms to let all of us inexperienced people know how to tell the humidity is to high at certain points in the hatch

If the higher humidity works for you, keep doing what you're doing Some people do have better luck with higher humidity, especially at higher elevations. A lot of users of cabinet incubators report that their hatches go better with the higher humidity, too.

Signs of the humidity being too high would be the air cells not developing properly and getting large enough. I posted a chart earlier that shows what to look for in terms of air cell growth. Another sign would be seen after the hatch is over, when you are inspecting the unhatched eggs to see why they didn't make it. If you crack them open and there is a lot of liquid inside, that would be a sign that the humidity was too high and the egg did not lose enough moisture.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Oh and by the way PD. Riverman can you please give symptoms to let all of us inexperienced people know how to tell the humidity is to high at certain points in the hatch. I mean it's easy for people to just make a blank statement that it's to high, but it would be nice to hear what that looks like. Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge.

I think You need to re-read what I said and I never called you "inexperienced"---I even said if you/anyone are having great hatches with the Humidity that high---continue doing so.

My reason for replying is to help. I have seen many state to use the higher humidity to newbies and the newbies has zero to low hatched on their set. That's why I suggest to start out lower and see how it works for newbies---in case their meter reads low, etc.. Old Pro's like yourself have your hatches working.

The end results tells me if the humidity higher percentage is to high as well as the candling. If I run 50% and have a 80% hatch for several hatches and drop to 30% and have 95 to 100% hatches every hatch----that tells me I was to high. Sure when you hatch every week you can experiment and get better results----so Experience tells me if the humidity is to high.

We all know meters can and do read different, that has to be taken into consideration. You stated your hatches do good if you set the temp at 102 in your cabinets, well with my incubators if I set at 102 I would have chicks being born 1 to 2 days early and I sure do not want that so mine are set where they hatch on time.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

In the 30's% for the first 18 days is what works for me and I have a hatch rate of 95 to 100% of fertile eggs, hatches like 236 eggs in, 233 hatch, 180 in 179 hatch, etc, etc. I would always say---start out with a lower humidity on the first 18 days and raise it high for the hatch and see what happens. Good Luck

What do you bump your humidity to during hatch? Thanks in advance.

 

[PD-Riverman]

What do you bump your humidity to during hatch? Thanks in advance.

High 70's!

 

[CrowHollowFarm]

Oh I'm sorry you may have misinterpreted my post. I really was just trying to draw out info that would help everyone.