What humidity works for you in hatching in still air?

[mominoz]

I read different things. I am setting Shetland and a few African eggs almost a week now, and 2 at 2+ weeks. I have it in the 50's +, but bumped it into 60's "Storeys guide to Geese ". I am using a Hovabators.
I keep doing searches, but search gets me 50+ pages on one thread, and I have been "speed reading" for days. I read the "goose hatching guide "here. But they have different incubators, or using auto turners or fans......
This is my yearlings (almost) eggs, sot fertility?but thought I'd try as many as I can. I have 2 Hovabators 1602N, and have 2 jars of water as a heat sink, about 2/3 full of eggs. I am getting some fluctuations on my thermometer and hygrometer (3 degrees mostly) highs and lows. This year they are in dining room and I have stopped dropping our house below 70 degrees at night, not near window or vent ,but is an intake in room. Household humidity is usually in the 40's this time of year. I am turning 3x a day, and let eggs rest for the first 24-36 hours, some were stored in garage for up to 10 days, some were that day set.
Also have you every staggered a hatch? I have 2 that were all left from candleing that were with my duck eggs that should hatch after 4/11..which also has a staggered group. I am thinking of putting the goose eggs 920 in with the ducks at lockdown, and moving the other staggered duck eggs with the newer set goose eggs (all set the 31st of March. Thinking about another Incubator and use one as a hatcher.... I lost 2 incubators full almost all to 3 power outages and other mistakes last year and I am OCD over this year.
( Or I may build my own cabinet incubator ...any suggestions welcome)

 

[pete55]

Hi. Even though you're using a still-air I would recommend running it dry, especially as you say your environment humidity is around 40%. Your eggs still need to lose 16% of their laid weight.

I would recommend weighing your eggs and maintaining good records as this will giude you to the ideal humidity for your machine. You can certainly mix your eggs at lockdown as all require similar high humidity.

Oh and do I recognise your avatar picture from The Living Seas exhibit at Epcot?

Best of luck.

Pete

 

[mominoz]

Why dry? My eggs were washed...I read Geese needed humidity in the 60's, aaaaggghh...but I marked my air cell and with less than a week to go, it hasn't shrank much.... the 2 eggs are now in with the duck eggs, one of which is internally pipping. all due 11-15 April. I guess it is too late to do much with them. I have the Younger goose eggs with the 1st incubator with the younger duck eggs with 5-55% humidity.... I will get a scale, also I believe my Shetland goose eggs are denser than the Africans,I can see thru the African easily, but not the Shetlands...hmmm...
I am keeping daily temp and humidity records on each one ,and anything I do. I am getting a temp. jump usually in early morning....the only thing I can figure is the house is cooler at night and warms in morning a few degrees, which means the incubators aren't very stable. (Oh, and I moved them to another room without the intake, thinking the pull of the air in the room may be more unstable). As it is spring, we try to keep house between 70-78...or AC or heat is used.
Beginning to think I need a separate incubator for each variety of bird.... My Hookbill eggs really seem to dehydrate down and the Silky ducks that are with them aren't much....same age. And I have my goose eggs in with them. I may drop the humidity for goose and silky eggs and see if the Hookbills and couple of Runners survive that . I am going to set another group in the next couple days .... may try lower humidity...gee...hate to experiment and lose a year

. I do have a goose setting 2 eggs and a dummy (silly goose), and 2 silky ducks setting first time, so what happens... good moms are priceless

Yes, Epcot ....Mine....Mine....Mine.....