Incubation humidity.! Need help

[Chicklady92]

I just set up my incubator as its my first time hatching chicks as my grandfather usually does it for me but I have a few questions.
The incubator said to set to 96° its exactly 96° but the humidity is suppose to be between 62 and 65 but it's at 69. I just set the incubator up and added the eggs today. Will this ruin the eggs? Also how do I fix this to put it at the right level? Thanks!!

 

[oregonkat]

First off 96degs. is too low. If this is a forced air incubator the temp needs to be 99.5degs or if it is a still air it needs to be 102degs. Humidity for the beginning of incubation should not be more than 40% and this will go up to 60-65% for the hatch. Glad you posted early in your incubation, it is better to be too cool than too hot. Try to get the temp up to where it needs to be ASAP. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[Chicklady92]

First off 96degs. is too low. If this is a forced air incubator the temp needs to be 99.5degs or if it is a still air it needs to be 102degs. Humidity for the beginning of incubation should not be more than 40% and this will go up to 60-65% for the hatch. Glad you posted early in your incubation, it is better to be too cool than too hot. Try to get the temp up to where it needs to be ASAP. Good luck with your hatch.

Okay. I just checked the booklet again and you are right! The temp on the display panel says 100.5° but my thermomoter that came with the incubator that sits on top of the eggs reads 99.5° (in post I meant 99.5° not 96°) is that okay. Also any addice on how to get the humidity down? Its at 68% right now which is too high

 

[oregonkat]

Sounds fine for the temperature. As you are nice and early in your incubation, I would take the eggs out, dump the water that is in the incubator out, put the eggs back in and run the bator for a while with no water in it until the hygrometer reads in the 20's then add a little water to get the humidity up to 35 - 40%. How is the incubator set up to add water? Does it have channels in a tray under the eggs or what?

 

[Chicklady92]

It has channels. I dumped all the water out and it seems to be ok now.

 

[oregonkat]

It has channels. I dumped all the water out and it seems to be ok now.

Great, so depending on how your ambient humidity is in your area, you may only need to fill the first channel to maintain the humidity. Just see how you go. Keep posting through your incubation if you run into any trouble, or just to check in. I have 7 Barnevelder eggs in my incubator at the moment, due to hatch August 11.