Incubator Woes!

[panner123]

Quote:
Any time you raise the humidity above 65%, you stand the chance of drowning the chicks. Avove 65% will also decrease your hatch rate. Try to shoot for a max of 60%, I only go above this when many chicks are zipping at the same time. At that time I do all I can to lower the humidity. This keeps my hatch rate above 85%. Reach under a broody hen and you can feel the humidity, low until they start hatching, then it will get damper. I have never been able to test the humidity under the hen, but I can't believe it to be 70% or more.

 

[valreegrl]

Thanks all!

My incubator has held steady at 42% humidity and 101.5 at the top of the eggs. It is 99.4 at the bottom though. Wonder why such
a big difference?

I put my eggs in last night and everything went wacky of course. But I held back and waited. After a couple hours it settled back into
what it was. And this morning same thing. I am supposed to leave it alone for the first 24 hours correct? Not turn and not open the bator?

Question....a friend of mine gave me some banty eggs yesterday. I would like to put them in the bator tonight since they will probably hatch a day earlier than
my standards according to him. Will my eggs already in the bator be fine if I put these in tonight?

 

[dbcooper02]

The reason for the temperature difference in a srill air incubator is called stratification, or layering. Heat rises. That's why it calls for 101.5 or whatever measured at the top of the eggs. This causes the temp at the mid point of the eggs to average the optimun 99.5 or so. It also mimics the conditions under a hen,warmer at the top than at the bottom.
I don't see any problem adding the eggs. Remember the temp will drop again until it stbilizes. Shouldn't bother the first eggs.
db