Lowering humidity once chicks hatch

[Redhead Rae]

Once all my eggs are hatched, which they are, YAY! Is it ok to lower the humidity to help them dry out? I keep sponges in my incubator and can remove them easily to lower the humidity. I just want to get them nice and fluffed up until I move them to the brooder.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Yes. I actually keep a separate incubator where I maintain the temperature and not the humidity. Hatched chicks go in there so they don’t knock the unhatched eggs around. They also dry more thoroughly there than in the humidity of the regular bator.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Thanks, the chick that hatched at 6pm last night isn't even dry yet. I've removed the sponges and the incubator is starting to dry out.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Mine never dry entirely if left in the regular incubator. I’ve always thought telling people to leave them until they dry is not sound advice or the chicks would starve in there.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I have a heater plate in my brooder and they dry off nicely under that. But my brooder hasn't been vacated by last week's chicks yet (too cold to move them outside), so I want to make sure these babies are walking well and are dry before I add them to the brooder.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I totally understand. I do hatches four weeks apart and brood inside for about a week and it’s always a rush to integrate those in the outdoor brooder with the flock so the new chicks don’t stink the house up too badly.

 

[aart]

I have a heater plate in my brooder and they dry off nicely under that. But my brooder hasn't been vacated by last week's chicks yet (too cold to move them outside), so I want to make sure these babies are walking well and are dry before I add them to the brooder.

Are they wet or 'slicked' (gluey chicks that are dry but look wet - the brylcreem look)?

You're gonna need more incubators and more heat plates

 

[Redhead Rae]

They are ever so slightly gluey, they look more like their fluff is spiked instead of pasted to them. They are dry now and in the brooder. The 1 week old chicks are doing great with them.

 

[Jan Croot]

Thanks, the chick that hatched at 6pm last night isn't even dry yet. I've removed the sponges and the incubator is starting to dry out.

The challenge is that while the chicks that hatched in the past few days are mostly dry, or ready to move, there are still eggs in the same incubator in the pipping process. Lower the humidity, or open to move the older chicks and the pipping one are shrink wrapped.

 

[aart]

The challenge is that while the chicks that hatched in the past few days are mostly dry, or ready to move, there are still eggs in the same incubator in the pipping process. Lower the humidity, or open to move the older chicks and the pipping one are shrink wrapped.

Move out the dry chicks fast, and the humidity should rise right back up again.