Quote:
I lost a chick to shrink wrapping once but that was a different incubator and my first hatch. Now I know what to look for and do.
I try to keep my humidity in the %40s for days 1-18. I start by filling one channel which seems to get humidity into the %40s. When it goes below 40% I add more water. I don't let it get above 50%
For lock-down I try to keep my humidity from 65%-70%. If it goes above 75%, I open the vent a little or just wait, it usually goes down. My humidity fluctuates between 60% and 80% so the average is then in that 65%-70% range that works well for me.
I've not found it easy to keep humidity up in my ECO20 at lock-down even with filling both water channels. Then there comes the tricky situation with having to refill them without opening the incubator. I found something that works well for me for keeping my humidity up during lock-down. I put a zip tie around the top grill near the vent hole and folded up a paper towel and put it through the zip tie loop. Then I just watch my hygrometer and syringe more water onto the paper towel as needed throughout the day. It raises the humidity pretty quick. Even with filling both channels at lock-down I find myself having to add more water to the paper towel a few times a day. The paper towel method allows me to be more precise, which I like and keeps my humidity up in the range I want.
I think high humidity at lock-down is very important. I think generally shrink-wrapping is much more of a danger during lock-down than drowning. People that have chicks that drown, I think it's usually due to having the humidity too high for days 1-18. Essentially the chicks are unlikely to survive regardless of lock-down humidity. The eggs haven't lost enough water and by the time you reach lock-down it is too late.
I lost a chick to shrink wrapping once but that was a different incubator and my first hatch. Now I know what to look for and do.
I try to keep my humidity in the %40s for days 1-18. I start by filling one channel which seems to get humidity into the %40s. When it goes below 40% I add more water. I don't let it get above 50%
For lock-down I try to keep my humidity from 65%-70%. If it goes above 75%, I open the vent a little or just wait, it usually goes down. My humidity fluctuates between 60% and 80% so the average is then in that 65%-70% range that works well for me.
I've not found it easy to keep humidity up in my ECO20 at lock-down even with filling both water channels. Then there comes the tricky situation with having to refill them without opening the incubator. I found something that works well for me for keeping my humidity up during lock-down. I put a zip tie around the top grill near the vent hole and folded up a paper towel and put it through the zip tie loop. Then I just watch my hygrometer and syringe more water onto the paper towel as needed throughout the day. It raises the humidity pretty quick. Even with filling both channels at lock-down I find myself having to add more water to the paper towel a few times a day. The paper towel method allows me to be more precise, which I like and keeps my humidity up in the range I want.
I think high humidity at lock-down is very important. I think generally shrink-wrapping is much more of a danger during lock-down than drowning. People that have chicks that drown, I think it's usually due to having the humidity too high for days 1-18. Essentially the chicks are unlikely to survive regardless of lock-down humidity. The eggs haven't lost enough water and by the time you reach lock-down it is too late.
