starting incubation - humidity & other questions

[opihiman911]

I just got some eggs today and plan on setting the tonight. My bator has been running consistantly 99.5-100.1 for the last 3 days. The normal humidity around here is always 55-65% year around. Right now my hygrometer says its 58% outside, 55% in the bator. I've hatched chickens before and never put water in till the last 3 days, then its a wet kitchen sponge. Is this high enough for turkeys? Also its the same with turkeys you take the eggs off the turner on 3 days before hatch on day 28 and raise the humidity the same time?

I have a broody chicken that has been sitting on a couple eggs for the last 10 days. Can I take her eggs away from her and give her a couple turkey eggs? She's had a couple broods in the past years so she is a good mom, but is that asking too much of a hen to sit 38-40 days and her instinct will kick in and tell her to get off the nest because nothing is going to happen. I have the bator as back up if she abandons the nest, but how long can they be abandoned before I have to get them in the bator. Is this a good or bad idea? Or am I better off plopping them in the bator where I have 60-70% sucess rate with chicken eggs?

Peace,
opihi

 

[AVizcaya]

Your humidity question is being answered here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=323226 and your broody chicken question was answered here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=318271

My opinion, 60% or higher on the humidity. And definitely go ahead and put a few eggs under the broody, mother nature usually does a better job than we can. If she abandons them, how quick you need to get them into the incubator has everything to do with how warm it is, but a couple hours at most. Just my two cents.