Is Lockdown really necessary?

[Chrissyc1]

I am just curious... would it hurt if I opened the lid to add a little more water to get the temp up? It would take 2 mins max. (probally 1 min) I am on day 20
My humidity is staying around 60.
I have heard people sometimes on the last 3 days open the incubator and actually spritz the eggs with water to help soften them up....
Any ideas............

 

[ScoobyRoo]

What are you hatching? If chickens, I was lucky enough to just fill the trays full of water on the 18th day and didn't touch it again. My hatch rate is very high. Now if you are talking ducks, geese, etc. I have not done those and may never will. I hope to have them go broody for me and do it the easy way.

Good luck!!

BTW welcome to the coop!! You will love it here!

 

[Chrissyc1]

I am doing chickens. 13 eggs

 

[Chrissyc1]

Oh, and thank you for such a quick response... This website has helped me soooo much already, and I haven't been here that long!!

 

[walkswithdog]

Technically lockdown is not necessary. If your incubator holds temp and humidity well, it's not a real problem.

But be careful about higher temps and higher humidity at hatch. Trying to soften eggs and reach extreme humidities often results in chicks that drown or suffocate in eggs. Have you calibrated your hygrometer?

Ventilation and available oxygen are important as chicks exert themselves. High humidity and high temps rob chicks of available oxygen.

I tend to run my temps at 99.5 or 99 for hatch as the chicks/poults tend to generate more heat as a hatch nears.

I don't know what your ventilation is like and what humidity you need will differ from mine but be careful. Too wet is NOT good. You cannot "soften" an egg with water. That's more poo than true. For ducks and geese they do better with more humidity because they're designed that way.

 

[Chrissyc1]

Thank you so much for your help.... I think I will just stick to my 60 humidity and leave it at that. temp is holding between 99 to 99.5. Maybe I am just overthinking things. My first set of eggs didn't make it... (my husband cooked them on the 2nd night

) So this time i am soooo nervous!

 

[walkswithdog]

You're probably fine in that range - don't try to force things too hard.

 

[Junkmanme]

quote:

I am just curious... would it hurt if I opened the lid to add a little more water to get the temp up? It would take 2 mins max. (probally 1 min) I am on day 20


ADDING water would not raise your temperature, It would probably lower it somewhat. ADDING water would RAISE your humidity, which at 60% is probably ok.

_Junkmanme-

 

[Chrissyc1]

sorry... I meant to say.... 'to raise the humidity'
Thanks for catching that!

 

[walkswithdog]

It's okay to make mistakes in a posting. <grin> The old

fart catches me being wrong all the time. He's good at it.

Just include a good

for him and

because it's all good and we're here and chickens are both fun and frustrating.

Good luck

with the hatch.