WHY does the humidity need to be raised in the last 3 days?

[wegotchickens]

So if you were having a staggered hatch, for example, you could just let them all stay in the same bator at the same temp and everyone would hatch on schedule if the temp were maintained correctly throught out the hatch?

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

That is how it works for me, yes. If I know I am having a staggered hatch I don't even turn off the turner (in my Sportsman - little bators are by hand turning). I just let the little buggers pretend they're at Six Flags until they look strong and dry enough for the brooder....

 

[wegotchickens]

Wow. OK.
I have a staggered hatch coming up and was trying to decide how to do a big switcheroo for hatching seperately. But maybe I'll just leave things be and see how it goes.

DH will not be happy if I use the 2nd bator for more eggs

 

[Guitartists]

Hey Broke Down Ranch...... How many hatches have you done this way over the years?

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Quote:
It would be easier to say I worried about all the nit-picky stuff the first couple of years of incubating. Ever since I found my niche I just have always done it this way. But I am talking regular eggs, not waterfwol eggs. Waterfowl either get broodies or I have a foam bator that I modified to hold a larger area of water so the humidity is higher all the time.

 

[Guitartists]

Well, I guess my only other question is what does your humidity tend to run? I've seen a lot of different numbers since learning about incubating. Granted a 5-10 degree difference doesn't seem like much, but I imagine every little bit matters.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

The last time I checked it ran about 60% - sometimes a little lower and sometimes a little higher. That is in my Sportsman, the goose-bator runs about 75%. In my Sportsman I have the water pan that came with the 5 gallon water bucket that sits on top of the bator. One thing I never liked about the Sportsman was the temp change between the top and the bottom so a couple years ago I set up a ramp-looking thing in the top to help force the airdown instead of it just slamming into the front of the bator door. Seems to work pretty good as now I only get 1º temp difference from the top to the bottom

 

[CindyS]

I do follow the instructions for the incubators and add water to the second channel 3 days before hatch, but I also never use a hygrometer in my incubators. I usually have 8 or 9 running at once (hovabators) There are so many people that have lousy hatches and think its humidity, the reality is their thermometer is off. Think about it- in nature the only thing that is a constant and correct is the temperature under the hen,(unless the hen has a fever) lol. Humidity will vary depending on climate, surface the nest is on, weather conditions and so on, so variances in the humidity is not so important on a day to day basis. To answer the original question- the pipping chicks will raise the humidity automatically when they pip the moisture from their little bodies excapes, The combination of the hen setting tight and the pipping chick creats a more humid enviornment.

 

[Guitartists]

Thanx... that is what I was thinking also. Humidity does seem secondary to temp. I wonder though, how come so many are getting them to pip and then they die? I'm just worried sick about my hatch even though they have been growing fine to date. Candled them the other night and all had movement.

 

[CindyS]

Pipping and then dying can be a direct result of improper temperature during incubation. The chick just does not have enough strength to hatch, and the yolk sack does not absorb. When you are talking about going from cells to a living breathing thing in 21 days, too much variation from mother nature and they just cant make it.