Humidity

[thegawd]

@KimChick the difference between 60% humidity giving a 66-70% hatch rate vs 45% humidity could be 90-100% hatch rate. figuring out why the 30-34% did not hatch at 60% RH will help make future hatches more successful.

i created an excel spreedseet to help keep track of the ongoing hatch so i could look back and make adjustments as needed. doing so i was able to really dial in my incubators and have very successful hatches.

Incubation Notes

[KimChick]

Never thought to shuffle the eggs. Thanks, that sounds like a plan. Here are pics of what I'm using. It seems that it maintains humidity of 40-45% for a length of time more than any other %age. At Day 4, I now need to moisten a paper towel an place it in the center of the unit. Not sure why the pictures are sideways.

the old, well-used, but still working, incubator

can see the thermometer and hygrometer

[Kbr42]

I'm only OCD when it comes to hatches and humidity. I'm using 1588 and getting 100% out of the shells. From day 0 to 18 I keep the humidity between 50 to 55% . I stop turning my eggs on day 16. I'm hatching silkies and olive eggers. Day 17 the humidity goes to 65% and i do my best to keep it there.
l'm still very sad about my first few hatches where I believed the incubators read outs and ended up killing my chicks (:
Now I put a cheap external thing that shows me the temperature and humidity levels at the egg level and I totally believe that, not what my incubator says.

I have just set 20 more eggs....I'll keep you posted. It will be the first time I'm not hand turning my eggs...but I am moving them around the incubator.

Happy hatching!

[KimChick]

Thanks Kbr42! Since it is still early in the incubation period, I must learn how much water to dab onto the middle of the incubator. If I put a bit too much, the humidity jumps to 60% before it settles to 50% or a bit lower for a while.

[Kbr42]

If I put too much water and my humidity goes up I just open the incubator for a few seconds. Seems to work. The other thing I didn't mention and really goes without saying. If you hand turn your eggs, open the incubator a couple of times a day. It changes the air. For me, it seemed to make a difference. Have fun with it!

[windwalkingwolf]

Never thought to shuffle the eggs. Thanks, that sounds like a plan. Here are pics of what I'm using. It seems that it maintains humidity of 40-45% for a length of time more than any other %age. At Day 4, I now need to moisten a paper towel an place it in the center of the unit. Not sure why the pictures are sideways.
20180408_120156[1].jpg
20180408_120311[1].jpg

Wow, look at that thing! It's a work of art!

[Kbr42]

I found this website excellent! Lots of great information easy to follow.

https://www.raising-happy-chickens.com

She has a great series on hatching, day-to-day and step-by-step. Helped me lots.

[Colleen Kinzie]

@Kbr42
Where did you get the external thing to measure humidity and temperature? Also do you know the price? I’m thinking I should invest in one
Thanks!

[LongCrow]

I'm not sure why everyone is so afraid of humidity. I have a Svenson incubator and on automatic to scientifically mimic a hen the humidity is never below 55%. Starts out at 60%, drops to 55%, back up to 60% and finishes at 65%. My hatches have been going quite good. The few pipped that don't make it out I just break open and they pop out never sticking to the membrane. ( most of these were blocked by empty eggshells making a double layer).

[windwalkingwolf]

I'm not sure why everyone is so afraid of humidity. I have a Svenson incubator and on automatic to scientifically mimic a hen the humidity is never below 55%. Starts out at 60%, drops to 55%, back up to 60% and finishes at 65%. My hatches have been going quite good. The few pipped that don't make it out I just break open and they pop out never sticking to the membrane. ( most of these were blocked by empty eggshells making a double layer).

Because styrofoam incubators are fiddly, as are any incubators that require adding water by hand.
Styrofoam and wood become wet saunas that are difficult to regulate.
@Colleen Kinzie , I got a cheapie weather station off eBay, others have better ones, but for me it was the best 4$ ever spent lol. I check it monthly for accuracy, but so far it's been bang on. Similar to this one:
https://m.ebay.ca/itm/Humidity-Thermome ... SweLBaZaqV