newbie incubating question...

[ccshambhala]

First time hatching with an incubator... about half survived to lock down (shipped eggs - about 1/4 didn't look fertile/didn't develop at all and 1/4 died during development?) I was having trouble getting the humidity right - and I was worried about getting it high enough for the 3ish day lock down. It is 70 % on day one. I know it should be 60-65%. Is that high enough to kill? Should I open and take some water out? Is it too late?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Just try to stay under 80% an over 65%. Or should I say that's how I do it..

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd leave it alone. The same humidity levels do not work for all of us. 70% may be perfect for your conditions while to might lead to problem with someone else. We could tell you what works for us, but you will get a wide range of answers because different things work for different ones of us.

Humidities do not have to be spot on. You are dealing with a range, not an exact number. If you are shootng for 65% and get 70%, you are doing fairly well.

I suugest you remain constant in what you are doing and analyze any unhatched eggs to determine what, if any, humidity problems you might have had. If you start bouncing humidity up and down, how do you know what to correct?

Removing water will not lower humidity unless it reduces surface area. Surface area controls humidity, not how deep the water is in the reservoir.

If you open the incubator now and haver an early pip (could be on the bottom where you cannot see it) you take the chance that you could shrink-wrap a chick.

 

[ccshambhala]

thank you so much to both of you! I think I just needed a lil reassuring

keepin fingers crossed