I go by experience Southernhusky. I do read some things to see if the writer knows what they are talking about---if not I do get a good Laugh. Keep in mind some writers that write about hatching eggs(I read one)----never hatched a egg or only a few----They collect info from other hatchers and sites like this----to get a book together to publish and sell----Money, most of the time! People do post all kinds of "Stuff: about hatching and some people believe everything they read, even though before they read the last story, they believed entirely different---LOL. I have read many instructions from people wanting to help---then read a little later that this person has not got their first incubator yet but was posting what they read??? I was reading the instructions on a Styrofoam incubator a few days ago----it said to keep the lid closed until after the hatch was over---OK. Then It said to remove the chicks as soon as they dry some??? Then it said chicks can live 48 hrs without food?? Then it said if the moisture was to high you could crack open the top to lower it, etc, etc.. I scratched my head till I am about bald. LOL If I had of been new at hatching I would have been more lost after reading all this--LOL. If I was looking for helpful info I would want to collect it from experienced people----people that have great hatches----I have said this before and I will say it again----I am a hands-of-hatcher, but if I wanted to become a hands-on-hatcher I would Pick Amy's brain and a few others like her----because they are good at what they do.
When you say humidity that high has been known to drown chicks----I know what you are saying----even though Amy is correct---it was not the humidity that drowned the chick----it is the high moisture in the eggs that would drown them, but we know the moisture would not have been that high if the humidity had of been lower. So, I guess its best we say it right so the next reader does not take it the wrong way.
Experience is what helps the most. I was never satisfied with a 20% hatch or 50% or 75%, etc, etc. My goal was to get as close to 100% as possible. I have a heart(some think not) if I put 50 eggs in the incubator and only 20 hatch----some people are happy with that----If I open those eggs and they are fully formed dead chicks---I feel like I failed them-----I feel they died because I failed to do something or did something wrong. My Mind goes---"I have To get better" to save these dying chicks. When you get to where---when you put a 100 eggs into lock down and about all hundred hatch---every time----it will make you feel that all the trying and hard work to get you to that point was worth it. Good hatching to everyone is my desire.
I have seen on many occasions people give advice, incorrect advice and when you bring out the facts have them say, oh, I don't know personally, I've never incubated before, I'm just trying to help. In which case I bite my tongue, when I really want to say, you can't help if you have no experience to go by. I am NOT one of those people that think there is only one way to incubate/hatch. I AM one of those people that believe that if you have found something that works, you stick to it regardless of what anyone else says. I do have firm beliefs about certain aspects of hatching that won't change, even if the other person does it their way with success, I may still believe their belief is wrong, and I may give reasons for my belief, but I won't loose sleep over it or have a war with someone. I will however argue things that are said that have no basis for fact and that is incorrect. For instance the comment about high hatch humidity does affect drowning. Our responsibility is too make sure the eggs, as a majority have lost enough moisture PRIOR to "lockdown" and the raising of our humidity so that hatch humidity is not an issue. In cases where the egg has not lost sufficient moisture come time for lockdown, providing no early pippers are happening, lockdown can be pushed back a day even two in some cases, if by then there is still insufficient moisture loss I would certainly advise a lower lockdown humidity, as well as incubating the eggs upright versus laying down. But it is VERY misleading to say hatch humidity drowns eggs, when in fact the improper loss of humidity over incubation is the culprit and to correct the issue, the incubation humidity should be adjusted in the future.
To quote: but we know the moisture would not have been that high if the humidity had of been lower. -I think it's important to note that this humidity is incubation humidity. If incubation humidity had been conducive to allowing moisture loss, the probability of drowning would be minimal. It should also be noted that due to differing shell quality, not all eggs will necessarily loose proper moisture, that is why adjusting is done for the greater majority, not a minority.
I will also comment on people's exceptance of lower hatch rates. I was helping someone with low hatch rates on a thread that was using a higher incubation humidity and having the majority, fully formed, DIS at hatch. I was explaining the low humidity incubation and how to judge air cell size to help them find the range that worked for them and their eggs. I had someone pop up and say, "Well, I incubate at 50-55% humidity and I have good hatches, 70%". 70% isn't bad, especially with higher humidity (if it's accurate, and most don't check), but it's 70%! Hey if you're happy, then good for you, BUT to me that's ALOT of room for improvement! All I could think is, maybe if you dropped 10-15% maybe you'd have 90% hatches. To each their own. I wouldn't be satisfied with consistent 70% hatches.
Another scenario, almost an identical situation, girl had maybe three sticky hatchers and like 9 DIS, fully formed, excessively wet chicks. Running above 50% incubation humidity. We were discussing lower incubation humidities. Guy pipes in telling me I should watch what I say he has perfectly good hatches that high. (Again, has your hygrometer ever been checked for accuracy?) Anyway, to which my reply was, that's great you can hatch at that rate, obviously it's not working for her considering the amount of DIS chicks that she is having. I wasn't telling him he should change his numbers, now was I? After explaining the air cell growth as a way to monitoring humidity and giving her the humidity link, she revealed in fact, her air cells were quite small, she just did not know what that meant or how to utilize that observation to better her process.
PD as different as we are in methodology of hatching, I think in a lot of end result thought processes, we have the same opinion, and collectively we have been able to help others with our unique philosophies.
I also feel like I failed two dear chicks today. My first incubated babies, and I waited for them to get mostly dry, then put them under the heat lamp in about 20 minutes they were gone, as in, passed on. Spoke with my friend, she said it was due to too much heat.
Now have about 6 hatched today, out of the incubator in a box, with a thermometer, have tweaked the distance of the heat lamp so that it reads a consistent 95F, they seem OK...I worry about tonight when I am asleep.
I'd put them back in the incubator, but its too short a space...
Others are still breaking through the shell.
Any guiding advice appreciated...
Sorry to hear about the losses. Too high temps can cause the deaths of chicks. It is very important to only have one end or area of the brooder heated to the recommendation with plenty of area away from your hear source where they can move in and out of the warmth as needed. 95F is a fair temp. I run slightly higher under my light but have a rather large brooding space where the opposite end is 10 degrees lower. As long as they have cooler areas in the brooder to move away from the heat, they should do well.
