Totally losing my mind at this point...PLEASE HELP

Jeffross1968

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Ok, so advice I got for lock down was to put the eggs in egg cartons. Pointy end down. This is supposed to raise the eggs to where they would have been with the turner in. However, after further review (little football sunday fun there), I don't really get it. The eggs sit at the bottom of the egg carton, making the net gain in height a total of about 1 millimeter. Apparently, I just don't understand? This has not been a good lock down day. I'm in a total panic, my humidity has tanked to 35% and there's 3 pint glasses full of water, a sponge in each...a wet paper towel...all the little canals are full...and there are two inch high trays, one across the front, one in the back, full of water.

Please help here....

1) Egg cartons...why would I use them, if they aren't taking them as high as the turner. They are basically no higher than without using them.

2) Does the still air really have giant temp differences in as little as half an inch in height? I'm getting 97 degrees at the middle top of the egg. Raising the thermometer/hygrometer sensor only half an inch makes the temp reading spike to 103!!!

3) Is it really possible, with all that water, that my humidity is actually at 35%????


Have not been opening the bator a bunch, except to put the eggs in the cartons, which now, to me, means absolutely nothing. Help!!!!

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Some people use the egg cartons to keep the chicks from crawling all over the place.
Some like the way they stay upright, so the chick doesn't have to reposition itself when you take them out of the turner.
I am assuming you are using the paper cartons?
 
And you are probably using a digital thermometer/ hydrometer.
Those things make me crazy.
I agree, breathe, and don't worry so much.
The paper has probably thrown off the humidity, but don't try to wet it down, or anything like that.
Remember, the carton will upset the airflow in there.
Give it some time to stabilize.
And don't make any hasty adjustments.
 
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The carton has certainly taken some of the humidity...they are visibly wet. Should I just keep them in there, or remove them? Will the humidity level rise once the cartons are saturated?

Yes, using the cardboardish type of carton, not Styrofoam.
 
I don't use the cartons, it just seems weird and terribly unnatural. I place my eggs on the wire for lockdown and bump the temperature up to about 100 degrees. If you have fog and condensation showing on the windows, your humidity is at least 80%. No way would I believe that reading of 28%. Making it to lockdown with thriving eggs is the hard part, the last 3 days will kinda work themselves out without too much assistance from us.
 
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Well they all candled alive and moving last night. Ugh...now I'm talking myself into removing the cartons...
 
Also, when using my still air, I insert my thermometer/hygrometer sensor into a egg shell that I have blown out and filled with water, then seal the blown out hole with tape or candle wax. I place the egg on the turner with all the others and I add a separate dial type cigar hygrometer in the bator. With the temp sensor inside a fluid filled egg, I get a very accurate temperature reading. I don't trust digital hygrometers, they just seem hinky to me and are designed for outside use normally.
 
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