is 75% humidity on lockdown too high??

[technodoll]

Day 19 here, the bator has been in lockdown since yesterday and I can't seem to get the humidity below 75% - will that drown the chicks?

I briefly opened up the bator this morning to dump out some water, but it didn't change anything.

I'm afraid to dump out too much and then humidity will be too low - help!!

Temps holding steady at around 100F...

The eggs are on a cardboard flat with holes, the cardboard is wet in places

 

[gumpsgirl]

I always try to keep my humidity levels between 70% and 80%. That is just fine! Just make sure it doesn't go over 80% and all will be well.

The temp. is perfect too!

 

[technodoll]

WHEW! thanks so much - i was worried that I was drowning the babies, as many people say that 65% humidity on lockdown is the best.

This is my very first hatch, can you tell?

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I had bad luck with humidity over 60%. I had a lot of trouble controlling humidity when I fill the water wells with water.

Here's what I do, problem solved, for me anyway.

I take a sponge and cut it into a 1 " strip. I get a small container, I use a square plastic baby food container. I think a custard cup would work well too. Keep the container half filled with water and the sponge will help wick the water to create enough humidity for a still air incubator.

I'd switch the eggs over to a dry egg crate also.

With my last hatch in the styrobator, I saw the humidity was up to 72%, so I reached in and took out the water and sponge quickly. The chicks hatching kept the humidity between 55-68% for the rest of the hatch on their own.

 

[technodoll]

Well now I don't know what to do.

It's a forced-air Hovabator and I don't have a spare egg crate...

I'll go dump more water as I'm not comfortable with 75% humidity, would be happier at 65 to 70% max, just a gut feeling...

come ON babies come ON!

 

[gumpsgirl]

You should always go with your gut feeling.

Now I'm rethinking my humidity levels!

It's been so long since I have hatched (last summer) I'm wondering if I was way wrong in what I told you. I'm thinking I had to do higher humidity for my darker eggs last year, as the shells were more dense, but 65% sounds right to me now that I read that. Sorry for the wrong advice there. Glad someone else chimed in and corrected me.

I've got to get back in the swing of things, as I'm starting a hatch this week too.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

That's what I was using. Since the crate is damp, you may want to just set the eggs on the floor of the bator. ? I had an egg toughing the sponge once, it didn't hatch and was fully developed.

Follow your gut! That's what I always say.

 

[okiehen]

Are your vent plugs in or out?
If you have them in take one out. This works for me.
If you have them out you can crack the lid a little.

 

[rancher hicks]

According to Practical poultry mag the humidity at lock down should be 65%.

Quote: relative humidity will need to be increased towards the end of the incubation period. My advice is to step it up to 55% on day 16 then up again to 65% on day 19. It should then be kept at this level until the chicks hatch. end quote.

 

[technodoll]

Thanks so much everyone - you may have just saved my hatch!

Humidity shot up to 80% so I did the unspeakable... I took the egg flat out, dumped all the water from the bator, removed the soaked cheesecloth that was on the mesh flooring, chucked the soggy egg flat carton - I figure I had nothing to lose at this point...

Eggs are now in new cartons (with holes for air circulation), I set a bit of rubber mesh around the egg carton so if any babies hatch their feet won't get caught in the mesh flooring of the bator. I added a BIT of water in the tray and how humidity is at 65%, temps back at 100F after dipping to about 75F for 10 minutes, then 85F for another 10 or 15 minutes.

Hopefully I didn't hurt my babies