what does humidity do for the egg?

[Flock Runner]

if i were to hatch eggs, what would happen if i didn't have the rite humidity? what exactly does it do for the egg?

 

[chickychick1]

Too much humidity and they may drown and with too little humidity its difficult to hatch, the chicks can't get out of the shell. I have found its most important at the end of the hatch. Once my cat dislodged the viewing area of my incubator and the humidity went very low for several days and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I overcompensated with additional humidity making it too high. That was half way through the hatch. I got it back where it should be and they hatched just fine.

 

[Flock Runner]

so, it's kind of the same effect as not turning then?

 

[LaynaDon95]

Not exactly the same effect, but not good effects. They both lead to the same end. Too high humidity can cause the chick to drown in the shell and too low will cause it to stick to the shell and dry out.

That being said, I just hatched my first clutch of eggs without a hygrometer so I know it can be done. I put in 36 eggs. 33 made it into lockdown. 25 hatched with one deformed we had to cull. :'( The remaining 24 are now 2 weeks old and healthy as can be. I just put 51 more into the incubator and they are developing nicely. (Still without a hygrometer.)

 

[Flock Runner]

how do you change the humidity if its not at the rite level?

 

[cupman]

It depends on what incubator you are using, Flock Runner. Look for plugs on top of your incubator. I know the 1588 HovaBator has one plug but I've heard other incubators have several. That will cause the humidity to drop a little bit. To make the humidity increase all you do is add more water or even a little dish of water.

 

[Flock Runner]

It depends on what incubator you are using, Flock Runner. Look for plugs on top of your incubator. I know the 1588 HovaBator has one plug but I've heard other incubators have several. That will cause the humidity to drop a little bit. To make the humidity increase all you do is add more water or even a little dish of water.

so to increase it all i have to do is put a dish of water i with the eggs? what if i lamp the eggs instesd of using an incubator? it would be pretty hard to but i can't afford a good incubator. maybe i'll get one of those small ones that only cost fourty dallars...

 

[LaynaDon95]

so to increase it all i have to do is put a dish of water i with the eggs? what if i lamp the eggs instesd of using an incubator? it would be pretty hard to but i can't afford a good incubator. maybe i'll get one of those small ones that only cost fourty dallars...

I used a sponge to increase humidity.

Do you have a friend with an incubator you can borrow? That's what I'm doing.