Is it Possible to have " too much" Humidity? (INCUBATION)

[bald Rooster]

Ok This is my take on all of the different exact humidity everyone prefers.
With different climates,altitudes,breeds and size of eggs you are incubating,a slightly different humidity can have a major affect on your eggs being to wet or to dry at day 18.
Therefore as a newbie I should monitor my air sacks closely and make adjustments to reach the size indicated in the diagrams.
up until day 7 or so I will maintain 45% and may make some minor adjustment at that time.
I have 38 Quail eggs in bator and they are very small compared to a chicken egg and I'm afraid they may dry out to fast.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have found that "too much" humidity has resulted in sticky eggs that weaker chicks struggle to get out and recently hatched seem to never dry

Exact scenario we just experienced. It has rained here every day and often all day. Humidity outside is like a bath house. The windows on the little giant incubator where completely blocking the view of the inside from condensation. It was actually rain dropping. Both air plugs were removed even.
A lot of peepers drown. Almost all were gooey. 4 hatched and died in the bator unshelled. Undissolved umbilical cords on 3. One with splayed leg. 2 took 2 days to dry.
A total disaster.
37 eggs remained at last candle, 9 survived and a OK in the brooder. 1 named tiny Tim has a leg splint being changed twice a day.
HERE ARE THE RECORDED SETTINGS:
temperature was a consistent 99.5° and spiked a couple times at 100°
Had 3 thermometers. 1 built into the unit, 1 analog meter stabbed thru the lid which is calibrated often and a digital meter periodically placed thru the top close to the heater. All read basically the same in the 99.5° range.
HUMIDITY read 46 to 50% at start and 74% during lock down.
We relied on the factory humidity meter alone.
Even though there was so Much steam in the bator it was dripping, the sensor read mid 70's.
We are going to purchase some humidity meters to back up the the built in meter that failed us. We have 2 other Bator's in the room as well. I gets candled tonight and other is lock down in 4 days.
Rain is in our forecast all week again and again.
FLORIDA.. "THE SOMETIMES SUNSHINE STATE".
Thanks to all for your contributions to this thread.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok This is my take on all of the different exact humidity everyone prefers.
With different climates,altitudes,breeds and size of eggs you are incubating,a slightly different humidity can have a major affect on your eggs being to wet or to dry at day 18.
Therefore as a newbie I should monitor my air sacks closely and make adjustments to reach the size indicated in the diagrams.
up until day 7 or so I will maintain 45% and may make some minor adjustment at that time.
I have 38 Quail eggs in bator and they are very small compared to a chicken egg and I'm afraid they may dry out to fast.

Perfect plan. The smaller quail eggs would worry me as well if I were to run less than 40%, but at 40-45% I would be less nervous.

Exact scenario we just experienced. It has rained here every day and often all day. Humidity outside is like a bath house. The windows on the little giant incubator where completely blocking the view of the inside from condensation. It was actually rain dropping. Both air plugs were removed even.
A lot of peepers drown. Almost all were gooey. 4 hatched and died in the bator unshelled. Undissolved umbilical cords on 3. One with splayed leg. 2 took 2 days to dry.
A total disaster.
37 eggs remained at last candle, 9 survived and a OK in the brooder. 1 named tiny Tim has a leg splint being changed twice a day.
HERE ARE THE RECORDED SETTINGS:
temperature was a consistent 99.5° and spiked a couple times at 100°
Had 3 thermometers. 1 built into the unit, 1 analog meter stabbed thru the lid which is calibrated often and a digital meter periodically placed thru the top close to the heater. All read basically the same in the 99.5° range.
HUMIDITY read 46 to 50% at start and 74% during lock down.
We relied on the factory humidity meter alone.
Even though there was so Much steam in the bator it was dripping, the sensor read mid 70's.
We are going to purchase some humidity meters to back up the the built in meter that failed us. We have 2 other Bator's in the room as well. I gets candled tonight and other is lock down in 4 days.
Rain is in our forecast all week again and again.
FLORIDA.. "THE SOMETIMES SUNSHINE STATE".
Thanks to all for your contributions to this thread.

The digital lg's are known to not only be off in temps, (applause for having back ups), but the hygrometers are often reportedly pretty useless reading 45-55% out of box regardless of relative humidity. I could hit 85% in my old lg with next to no condensation.

I take it yours is forced air?

 

[Birdinhand]

"between the opposites lies the path"!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Perfect plan. The smaller quail eggs would worry me as well if I were to run less than 40%, but at 40-45% I would be less nervous.



The digital lg's are known to not only be off in temps, (applause for having back ups), but the hygrometers are often reportedly pretty useless reading 45-55% out of box regardless of relative humidity. I could hit 85% in my old lg with next to no condensation.

I take it yours is forced air?

Still air. Have excellent hatch rates at least until this wet weather situation. Although bator is indoors in a controlled climate of 80° F. No drafts. No A/C.
Brooders in same room and temperature monitored as well.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You run still air at 99.5 and have on time hatches?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

3 Bator's. All different results of times. Last hatch with different bator had 35 eggs at lock down. 29 hatched with no human unzip rescue. THREE WERE HATCHED ON DAY 20.
All heathy. Impressive batch. The other has similar results. We have been hatching for eon's and first real disaster batch.
Always hand turn, multi candle dates, still air, control room temp without A/C. & record date, times, temp. Basically babysit our makeshift hatchery.

Nothing is ever the norm. Never will say we know or seen it all.
Artificially bringing chicks to life is cheating Mother Nature so we expect curve balls. And never take it for granted. Grateful for her to let us win more than we lose.

 

[bald Rooster]

Exact scenario we just experienced. It has rained here every day and often all day. Humidity outside is like a bath house. The windows on the little giant incubator where completely blocking the view of the inside from condensation. It was actually rain dropping. Both air plugs were removed even.
A lot of peepers drown. Almost all were gooey. 4 hatched and died in the bator unshelled. Undissolved umbilical cords on 3. One with splayed leg. 2 took 2 days to dry.
A total disaster.
37 eggs remained at last candle, 9 survived and a OK in the brooder. 1 named tiny Tim has a leg splint being changed twice a day.
HERE ARE THE RECORDED SETTINGS:
temperature was a consistent 99.5° and spiked a couple times at 100°
Had 3 thermometers. 1 built into the unit, 1 analog meter stabbed thru the lid which is calibrated often and a digital meter periodically placed thru the top close to the heater. All read basically the same in the 99.5° range.
HUMIDITY read 46 to 50% at start and 74% during lock down.
We relied on the factory humidity meter alone.
Even though there was so Much steam in the bator it was dripping, the sensor read mid 70's.
We are going to purchase some humidity meters to back up the the built in meter that failed us. We have 2 other Bator's in the room as well. I gets candled tonight and other is lock down in 4 days.
Rain is in our forecast all week again and again.
FLORIDA.. "THE SOMETIMES SUNSHINE STATE".
Thanks to all for your contributions to this thread.

Im not far from you. Im in Apopka. I haven't seen any moisture in my 1588 Hova bator it is forced air I believe.my house is air conditioned and when I open the lid the humidity reads about 33 in the room its in.
I let it go dry and humidity dropped to 38%so I added water to the smallest cell #4 and now I'm at 58%
The book said the surface size is how to control minor changes not the amount or depth of the water!
Since I have used the smallest channel and my humidity is higher then I want at this time I will place aluminum foil over the top of half of my water channel to reduce surface area.
Hopefully this will give me the desired humidity.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We bate indoors as well but foil taped the A/C vent shut. Sealed it completely. Weather stripped the door. The door has an adjustable vent that acts as an exhaust for too much heat in the room. The wider we open the vent, more hot air is sucked out while the A/C is cycling in the rest of the house as the return is drawing the air. You can hear the door vent whistling. If it drops below 75° F., we shut the vent to stabilize the room. We have had condensation on the window of the room lately.
All winter and spring were super successful hatches as well as last fall and summer. Lots of moisture in the air. It rained 3 times today and the sun pops out. They rains again...
Rain forest.
Thanks for all your time you are sparing for me. I appreciate it a bunch. To all.

Just scrubbed out the bator, smelled of death.

 

[pasuit]

My bator advises 60%. This depends on your location/climate. Im in Oklahoma. 55% to 60% is a good rule of thumb. Of you may and probably should use the 55% at 7 days from hatching. This works for me. You also shouldn't get it too low or the chick can be shrink wrapped. This works for me. Hope this helps.