Okay, few more questions....

[sonilla]

At day 18 / 19 take eggs out of the turner if you have them in one and place them on their sides or into an egg carton to hatch. Add additional water to raise the humidity to help with them hatching. This is refered to as "lockdown" do not open the incubator till they hatch and do not turn aggs anymore as this is the time that the chicks get into position to hatch. A"PIP" is where the chick has pecked a whole in the egg to start the process of hatching.

So at day 18 we just lay the eggs on the clear bottom, above the water channels?

 

[fiset94]

I am new at this... but I have been decreasing/increasing the temp by removing or putting back the red plugs. I have read that you should have both open during hatch... but I can't get my humidity over 60 with any of them open....

I have filled all wells with water and added two sponges... and still no dice over 60! I placed them in the bator on the 6th and I am on day 17.

 

[lazy gardener]

Did you calibrate your hygrometer? Any water droplets/fog on the glass at top of incubator? How do your air cells look compared to the cell chart? What did you run your humidity at for first 17 days? If your air cells are on track for day 18, I wouldn't worry about it. Obviously, if you have a temp spike, you have to do what ever you can to get that temp back down.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Okay another question or two. Tomorrow is day 18. So, I'll mark the air cell and add water to raise the humidity. I understand I'm not to open the incubator after. But what happens if the temp gets too high or too low?

Do what you do now to fix it.Yes, you should only open the bator if absoluteluy neccessasry after lockdown, but if you have something that needs to be altered for the safety of the hatchlings, then do so. Just make sure you have your humidity up up up so that any humidty loss won't jeopardize the hatch.

So at day 18 we just lay the eggs on the clear bottom, above the water channels?

I am new at this... but I have been decreasing/increasing the temp by removing or putting back the red plugs. I have read that you should have both open during hatch... but I can't get my humidity over 60 with any of them open....

I have filled all wells with water and added two sponges... and still no dice over 60! I placed them in the bator on the 6th and I am on day 17.

Has your hygrometer ever been calibrated? Are you in a very dry area? Water wells filled and a couple sponges usually give you sufficeient humidity. If your hygrometer is accurate and that's as high as you can get it for lock down, Just make sure that you keep the bator closed unless it's absolutely neccessary to open. Once they staart hatching it will naturally jump up a bit.

 

[fiset94]

I never calibrated my hygrometer... I know.. bad! I think that it is past time to consider that option now for me-- because I have put them in *lockdown* ?

I had my humidity at 38-42% with VERY LITTLE water in the channels....BUT.....

I used my hovabator to incubate them.... ( which I LOVED)

and I am using the dreaded LG 9300 to Hatch them.... The LG ran at about the same 40% humidity... for a week prior to adding them to this bator... and I didn't have much water in it Maybe half of 1 channel full.

I figured that If I add two sponges...and add water to ALL the Chanels that I would have no problems reaching the high humidity. How wrong I have been!

The 9300 has been SUCH A PAIN! The built in Thermometer and Hydrometer stinks! I have two other thermometers in there for back up.. and use my Hygrometer that I purchased for an *accurate* reading.

I have the 9300 Programed at 97 degrees and it is 101 at the top of the eggs in there! Go figure! There is another thread out there about the 9300 and the same problem that people are having...

There is a small area (1/4 of the window) at the bottom that has condensation on both windows...

I am afraid to add a humidifier in the room because I don't want the humidity to rise in the Hovabator as I have other Eggs in that incubator still.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I never calibrated my hygrometer... I know.. bad! I think that it is past time to consider that option now for me-- because I have put them in *lockdown* ?

I had my humidity at 38-42% with VERY LITTLE water in the channels....BUT.....

I used my hovabator to incubate them.... ( which I LOVED)

and I am using the dreaded LG 9300 to Hatch them.... The LG ran at about the same 40% humidity... for a week prior to adding them to this bator... and I didn't have much water in it Maybe half of 1 channel full.

I figured that If I add two sponges...and add water to ALL the Chanels that I would have no problems reaching the high humidity. How wrong I have been!

The 9300 has been SUCH A PAIN! The built in Thermometer and Hydrometer stinks! I have two other thermometers in there for back up.. and use my Hygrometer that I purchased for an *accurate* reading.

I have the 9300 Programed at 97 degrees and it is 101 at the top of the eggs in there! Go figure! There is another thread out there about the 9300 and the same problem that people are having...

There is a small area (1/4 of the window) at the bottom that has condensation on both windows...

I am afraid to add a humidifier in the room because I don't want the humidity to rise in the Hovabator as I have other Eggs in that incubator still.

If you are seeing condensation, I would say the accurate hygrometer isn't so accurate, (at least at higher humiditys). Condensation tells me that your humidity is high enough and you shouldn't worry.

 

[PattiS72]

Thanks again. AmyLynn. I think I only have a couple that will hatch. So no opening incubator unless tempgets too high. How high does the hhumidity need to be for hatching?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks again. AmyLynn. I think I only have a couple that will hatch. So no opening incubator unless tempgets too high. How high does the hhumidity need to be for hatching?

The LEAST recommended for humidity at lockdown/hatch is 65%. I prefer mine to be up at 75% (I do remove chicks periodically before end of hatch and I will assist if I feel absolutely neccessary.) The extra humidity gives me the leeway I need to do these things and not shrink wrap any pipped chicks.

 

[fiset94]

The LEAST recommended for humidity at lockdown/hatch is 65%. I prefer mine to be up at 75% (I do remove chicks periodically before end of hatch and I will assist if I feel absolutely neccessary.) The extra humidity gives me the leeway I need to do these things and not shrink wrap any pipped chicks.

I am seriously worried about doing this with my chicks! Even though their is condensation on the windows... the built in Hydro and the one I bought both say 55... I just can't get it to go any higher.. and When I opened up one of the red plug vent things to add a bit more water... it started dripping out the bottom of the unit... so that tells me it's so full that it can't take no more!!

I guess I will just wait and see what happens over the next two days... I hope my chicks make it..

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I am seriously worried about doing this with my chicks! Even though their is condensation on the windows... the built in Hydro and the one I bought both say 55... I just can't get it to go any higher.. and When I opened up one of the red plug vent things to add a bit more water... it started dripping out the bottom of the unit... so that tells me it's so full that it can't take no more!!

I guess I will just wait and see what happens over the next two days... I hope my chicks make it..

Those hygrometers have to be off. I've never seen condensation at 55%, heck, I don' usually have condensation at 70-75% Past that I do, a little. If you have condensation, you have plenty of humidity in there wether it's 55% or 75% and I wouldn't worry about trying to get it any higher.