Official 2020 BYC Halloween Hatch-Along

[chickenlittle21]

Tell them to wait a few days

Too late, they already started pipping

 

[Allthefloofs]

Hey guys, I've been struggling pretty badly with the humidity in my incubator (shoulda just bought the better one before setting the eggs), I have an 2 year old Janoel 12, we are in AZ, and I had the hardest time getting it up to 65% for lockdown but I did it and yesterday seemed fine, monitored it all day and since the eggs are at work I left them yesterday at 65% and this morning I came in and they were at 54% even though the reservoir at the base has plenty of water. When I reviewed my bluetooth temp/humidity monitor (salt calibrated) the data points told me it dropped below 60% around 1am, so it's been below 60% for almost 7 hours on day 19. How bad can that be? I think I am trying to manage my expectations and if there is a bad hatch to help manage the expectations of the kids, mine and the other two who are here at the home school. Any advice? I'm pretty worried right now.

 

[jolenesdad]

Hey guys, I've been struggling pretty badly with the humidity in my incubator (shoulda just bought the better one before setting the eggs), I have an 2 year old Janoel 12, we are in AZ, and I had the hardest time getting it up to 65% for lockdown but I did it and yesterday seemed fine, monitored it all day and since the eggs are at work I left them yesterday at 65% and this morning I came in and they were at 54% even though the reservoir at the base has plenty of water. When I reviewed my bluetooth temp/humidity monitor (salt calibrated) the data points told me it dropped below 60% around 1am, so it's been below 60% for almost 7 hours on day 19. How bad can that be? I think I am trying to manage my expectations and if there is a bad hatch to help manage the expectations of the kids, mine and the other two who are here at the home school. Any advice? I'm pretty worried right now.

Not bad at all. ;-)

I hate to always tell you not to worry. But... I would not worry.

You're early than the rest of us right? When is your hatch date?

A lot of folks (me included) go for 50-60 at lockdown.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hey guys, I've been struggling pretty badly with the humidity in my incubator (shoulda just bought the better one before setting the eggs), I have an 2 year old Janoel 12, we are in AZ, and I had the hardest time getting it up to 65% for lockdown but I did it and yesterday seemed fine, monitored it all day and since the eggs are at work I left them yesterday at 65% and this morning I came in and they were at 54% even though the reservoir at the base has plenty of water. When I reviewed my bluetooth temp/humidity monitor (salt calibrated) the data points told me it dropped below 60% around 1am, so it's been below 60% for almost 7 hours on day 19. How bad can that be? I think I am trying to manage my expectations and if there is a bad hatch to help manage the expectations of the kids, mine and the other two who are here at the home school. Any advice? I'm pretty worried right now.

I think you'll be fine. Humidity isn't a set number but rather what you are trying to achieve is a weight loss (13%) throughout incubation and raising humidity by the time they pip to prevent shrink wrapping.
Have you candled to observe the drawdown of the air cell or better yet, weighed the eggs before and during incubation?
Since you are in an arid climate an easy fix is to put the incubator in a closet or small room with a humidifier. In extreme climates like yours, I would definitely start weighing eggs to determine proper weight loss in future incubations.

 

[Allthefloofs]

Not bad at all. ;-)

I hate to always tell you not to worry. But... I would not worry.

You're early than the rest of us right? When is your hatch date?

A lot of folks (me included) go for 50-60 at lockdown.

Please tell me not to worry! I love that! Okay, I won't freak out. I put a piece of sponge in there. My temp isn't holding well either, it dropped to 98, which I read isn't too bad. My hatch date is tomorrow, I was supposed to get the eggs two days after I actually did . This whole experience has taught me that if I do this again, I should invest in a better incubator, and I should totally ask a ton of questions instead of sitting around sweating it out. I feel pretty sensitive about the humidity here since it's so dry and hard to keep up.
Whew. Okay. Feeling better now. Thank you, thank you!

 

[jolenesdad]

Please tell me not to worry! I love that! Okay, I won't freak out. I put a piece of sponge in there. My temp isn't holding well either, it dropped to 98, which I read isn't too bad. My hatch date is tomorrow, I was supposed to get the eggs two days after I actually did . This whole experience has taught me that if I do this again, I should invest in a better incubator, and I should totally ask a ton of questions instead of sitting around sweating it out. I feel pretty sensitive about the humidity here since it's so dry and hard to keep up.
Whew. Okay. Feeling better now. Thank you, thank you!

If you're in an arid space, and you're running below 60, just DO NOT open that incubator once you start getting pips.

Also, I would not worry too terribly about temps in lockdown. Yes, it's important, and, you probably are affecting a hatch in the small percentages. You may not notice it with 12 or less eggs.

I actually use a Little Giant that has 2-3 degree temp swings and I CANNOT ever get to 99.5, either just below or over. I use the Little Giant as a hatcher a lot. Eggs are so much less susceptible to temp swings during hatching.

I would also weigh next time. Your first time weighing its really important to take an AVERAGE or you will drive yourself CRAZY with weights. But.... that's for next time. ;-)

 

[Allthefloofs]

I think you'll be fine. Humidity isn't a set number but what you are trying to achieve is a set amount of weight loss (113%) throughout incubation and raising humidity by the time they pip to prevent shrink wrapping.
Have you candled to observe the drawdown of the air cell or better yet, weighed the eggs before and during incubation?
Since you are in an arid climate an easy fix is to put the incubator in a closet or small room with a humidifier. In extreme climates like yours, I would definitely start weighing eggs to determine proper weight loss in future incubations.

Okay, this is good info. I was candling and I could see some drawdown in the air cell near the end, but weighing wasn't on my radar. That information is useful for me for my next incubation. My general humidity was kept at about 45% for the majority of the incubation then I lowered it a bit for a couple days before lockdown to increase air cell size, those days ran about 30-35%, that is when I observed the areas of drawdown for most of the eggs. Once lockdown hit I increased to 65% and was mostly successful in keeping it up, but I was mostly worried about the change in humidity, from 65 to about 54%, I think that felt like a pretty deep dip and so I got concerned they might end up in trouble.

 

[gimmie birdies]

2 hatched on day 19, now it is day 20 waiting on 4 to hatch, only one looks to be not going to make it.

 

[jolenesdad]

Im going to lockdown today. I secretly set my eggs a day early cause I didn't think I should wait much longer when I set them, they came a couple of days early.....

When I candled this morning I saw a couple looking like they're almost drawing down and realized my lockdown is today not tomorrow!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Okay, this is good info. I was candling and I could see some drawdown in the air cell near the end, but weighing wasn't on my radar. That information is useful for me for my next incubation. My general humidity was kept at about 45% for the majority of the incubation then I lowered it a bit for a couple days before lockdown to increase air cell size, those days ran about 30-35%, that is when I observed the areas of drawdown for most of the eggs. Once lockdown hit I increased to 65% and was mostly successful in keeping it up, but I was mostly worried about the change in humidity, from 65 to about 54%, I think that felt like a pretty deep dip and so I got concerned they might end up in trouble.

Mine are due to hatch at midnight Saturday. I have kept the humidity higher than I normally do this hatch. Some days it was up close to 60% and then added water when it got down below 30%. It has been very humid here the last week or so. Up around 85-100%.
I weighed on Saturday and my eggs were between 2 and 3 grams heavier than they should have been so I removed the water. I've been running around 20% since then. I'm going to weigh today to see how they're doing.
IMO it is unrealistic to think that one should/could achieve a set humidity throughout. That doesn't happen in nature. It is always relatively humid here but can get down into the 30s. A hen can be sitting on eggs during a drought and then several days of rain happen. She can't lower 98% ambient humidity but the eggs still hatch.
Considering a specific humidity level isn't realistic, not all eggs porosity is the same. Eggs from different species, breeds and strains may need different humidity.