Incubating chicks with Farm Innovator 4200 and I don't understand hygrometer vs humidity

[AmyLynn2374]

My incubator ran 18% empty, 25% with 40 eggs, and 44% with 60 eggs without altering the humidistat. Eggs give off a good deal of moisture, but if the incubator retains it, then the eggs won't lose much moisture. Every time you open the incubator and the room temp and humidity are lower, then warm, moist air will leave the incubator and cooler, drier air will enter.

When my eggs start pipping I expect the humidity to go up more on its own, but the water pan and air stone are on standby if needed.

Humidity does rise naturally once they start hatching. Always a good thing for those who struggle to get it higher at hatch.

 

[COChix]

That's what I have right now, so I am just keeping a damp/wet sponge in mine in the corner and it's keeping it right around 30% (with my vent plugs out-I don't use the vent plugs). You can start your incubation and regulate the humidity over the first 24-48 hours and it won't harm the eggs. Just remember once you adjust your humidity it will change your temps, so don't freak out too bad. If you wanted to go ahead and get your eggs in there (because that will also affect the temp and humidity) and get the temp regulated w/the eggs then you can work on the humidity. I find it easier just to use the sponge to keep it at 30% than to fill water wells and try to figure out how much. Also if you put a damp/wet sponge with water in there and the humdity shoots up higher than you want, it's ok. Just let it naturally come back down. The average of the humidity over the period of the incubation and growth of air cells is what is important not what the humidity is at any given time.

Ok great thank so much for your help. I am shooting to put eggs into the bator tomorrow. I need to get my ducks in a row first. I haven a digital hygrometer and temp gauge in each of the bators, I need to get a couple of sponges and I am going to attempt to make my own egg candeler.

I hav another question. So we have a second FI incubator without a turner and it is still air. I am obviously using the one that has the turner and fan. Would you use the still air model for lockdown and hatching? I just don't see how there is room in the 4200 model with the turner for baby chicks once they hatch.

My incubator ran 18% empty, 25% with 40 eggs, and 44% with 60 eggs without altering the humidistat.  Eggs give off a good deal of moisture, but if the incubator retains it, then the eggs won't lose much moisture.  Every time you open the incubator and the room temp and humidity are lower, then warm, moist air will leave the incubator and cooler, drier air will enter.

When my eggs start pipping I expect the humidity to go up more on its own, but the water pan and air stone are on standby if needed.

Thanks for sharing, this is helpful to me.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok great thank so much for your help. I am shooting to put eggs into the bator tomorrow. I need to get my ducks in a row first. I haven a digital hygrometer and temp gauge in each of the bators, I need to get a couple of sponges and I am going to attempt to make my own egg candeler.

I hav another question. So we have a second FI incubator without a turner and it is still air. I am obviously using the one that has the turner and fan. Would you use the still air model for lockdown and hatching? I just don't see how there is room in the 4200 model with the turner for baby chicks once they hatch.
Thanks for sharing, this is helpful to me.

If you are more comfortable at lockdown to split them (or use the other bator) and it holds the humidity and temp well, then by all means, move them. The turner should come out of the bator at lockdown though. I have 36 eggs in my little giant waiting to hatch out next week. I'll hatch them out (God willing) in just the one, but I pull my chicks out of the incubator periodically during hatch.

 

[COChix]

If you are more comfortable at lockdown to split them (or use the other bator) and it holds the humidity and temp well, then by all means, move them. The turner should come out of the bator at lockdown though. I have 36 eggs in my little giant waiting to hatch out next week. I'll hatch them out (God willing) in just the one, but I pull my chicks out of the incubator periodically during hatch.

Ok thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it. I am super eggcited for this....

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it. I am super eggcited for this....

Good luck. It is very exciting. Every hatch you do.

 

[COChix]

Good luck. It is very exciting. Every hatch you do.

Amy, just wanted to let you know I set 42 eggs this am. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Amy, just wanted to let you know I set 42 eggs this am. Keeping my fingers crossed.

That's awesome. Looks like a good variety too!

Can't wait to see how they turn out!!

 

[COChix]

That's awesome. Looks like a good variety too!     Can't wait to see how they turn out!!

Thanks

 

[COChix]

Hi Amy,

04/22/15 - candled eggs last night, don't have a true candler. Used my old IPhone light. Not the best pictures but at least you can see some, here are the results:

25/42 - total in incubator look to be fertile.

From our flock - 22/28 -
BO x EE - 11/15 fertile - it was super hard to see into the blue/green eggs.
BO x EE - 4/15 unknown status based on inability to see anything definitively either way.

From our flock -
BO x Brown Egg Layers (BR, Dark Cornish, Delaware, EE, RIR and Welsummer's) - 11/13 fertile.
BO x BRowns - 1/13 - unknown.
BO x Browns - 1/13 - clear.

From Percheron chicks eggs -

BW Roo x Cream Brabanter - 2/2 - non fertile.
BW roo x Amerecauna's - 3/12 - fertile.
BW roo x Amerecauna - 1/12 - unknown .

Will candle again before lock down and remove any non-viables. Ok no laughing at my makeshift candler. The one I made thinking would work is not bright enough for our dark brown eggs and a good amount of our blue/green eggs. Sorry they aren't better pictures....but it is still eggciting!

Fertile from our flock - EE egg

Fertile from flock - brown egg layer

Unknown from our flock - a lot of our blue eggs looked like this, some I could see veining on easier than others.

Not sure on this egg but maybe an early death? It doesn't look right to me, need to do more research. You can check out more not so great pictures in my incubation folder in my photos under my profile. Didn't want to clog thread with a bunch of not so great shots.

PS - I have a 12 second video of embryo movement during the candling last night, so cool!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hi Amy,

04/22/15 - candled eggs last night, don't have a true candler. Used my old IPhone light. Not the best pictures but at least you can see some, here are the results:

25/42 - total in incubator look to be fertile.

From our flock - 22/28 -
BO x EE - 11/15 fertile - it was super hard to see into the blue/green eggs.
BO x EE - 4/15 unknown status based on inability to see anything definitively either way.

From our flock -
BO x Brown Egg Layers (BR, Dark Cornish, Delaware, EE, RIR and Welsummer's) - 11/13 fertile.
BO x BRowns - 1/13 - unknown.
BO x Browns - 1/13 - clear.

From Percheron chicks eggs -

BW Roo x Cream Brabanter - 2/2 - non fertile.
BW roo x Amerecauna's - 3/12 - fertile.
BW roo x Amerecauna - 1/12 - unknown .

Will candle again before lock down and remove any non-viables. Ok no laughing at my makeshift candler. The one I made thinking would work is not bright enough for our dark brown eggs and a good amount of our blue/green eggs. Sorry they aren't better pictures....but it is still eggciting!



Not sure on this egg but maybe an early death? It doesn't look right to me, need to do more research. You can check out more not so great pictures in my incubation folder in my photos under my profile. Didn't want to clog thread with a bunch of not so great shots.

PS - I have a 12 second video of embryo movement during the candling last night, so cool!

Cool! Yes, the last two pics appear to be early quitters. That's great and those greens can be a bugger to see anything through.