90% Hatching Humidity? (Help!)

[1sellersrobe]

My eggs are in lockdown right now and tomorrow will be day 20. The incubator I'm using is a cheap Chinese incubator to hatch them out (they were previously kept at 50-55% humidity and the air cells look fine) that does hold temp well, but it has two giant sections for water. Even filling one of them up brings the humidity to the upper 80's/low 90's. Is it too late to dump the water and put in a couple sponges? They eggs would have to be out of the incubator for about a minute. Thanks!

 

[JaeG]

How long has it been that high? When you initially put water in those wells you often get water on the grill, splashing on the plastic between the wells, so until those bits dry up the humidity will read higher than it actually is. I have a cheap Chinese incubator too (which has been great) and when I fill my wells the humidity is usually around 73%.

Make sure you have removed all of the plugs as that will keep the humidity high as well, plus the hatching chicks need lots of fresh air washing over them.

As long as condensation isn't forming inside the incubator your eggs will be just fine. The issue with the condensation is that it can drip down onto the eggs and if it drips on external pips it can prevent the chicks from breathing.

 

[1sellersrobe]

How long has it been that high? When you initially put water in those wells you often get water on the grill, splashing on the plastic between the wells, so until those bits dry up the humidity will read higher than it actually is. I have a cheap Chinese incubator too (which has been great) and when I fill my wells the humidity is usually around 73%.

Make sure you have removed all of the plugs as that will keep the humidity high as well, plus the hatching chicks need lots of fresh air washing over them.

As long as condensation isn't forming inside the incubator your eggs will be just fine. The issue with the condensation is that it can drip down onto the eggs and if it drips on external pips it can prevent the chicks from breathing.

Thank you! It has been that high for a while, but I'm wondering if the sensor is a little off. The incubator only has one plug which is open. I hope that's enough air in there. The first one hatched early overnight (today is day 20). I'll wait for him to dry off and check to make sure none of the other eggs are pipping before removing him. Is it normal for one to hatch a while before the others? I don't see any others pipping and he hatched a while ago.

 

[Sublight]

My incubator has had a high humidity for the entire incubation period. 80%. So far looks like 7out of 9 eggs are going to hatch in the next couple days.

Consider this. I live in Florida. Chickens hatch eggs all the time, and the humidity is rarely under 80% here. On top of that you have a warm chicken sitting on the eggs, and the eggs are sitting on very moist soil. I assume the humidity under her is really high due to the humidity outside, and the water in the soil.

I am sure there is a preferred humidity. But we hatch eggs here all the time in that humidity. Not sure how much it really matters. Growing up we did not worry about humidity and got great hatches from it.

Just my 2 bits.

 

[1sellersrobe]

My incubator has had a high humidity for the entire incubation period. 80%. So far looks like 7out of 9 eggs are going to hatch in the next couple days.

Consider this. I live in Florida. Chickens hatch eggs all the time, and the humidity is rarely under 80% here. On top of that you have a warm chicken sitting on the eggs, and the eggs are sitting on very moist soil. I assume the humidity under her is really high due to the humidity outside, and the water in the soil.

I am sure there is a preferred humidity. But we hatch eggs here all the time in that humidity. Not sure how much it really matters. Growing up we did not worry about humidity and got great hatches from it.

Just my 2 bits.

Thank you! I had one hatch and a couple more pip.

 

[Sublight]

Thank you! I had one hatch and a couple more pip.

ohhh...
I would love e to see pics. I just love chickens

 

[1sellersrobe]

ohhh...
I would love e to see pics. I just love chickens

Absolutely! I just have to wait for it to move under the plastic. I think it's an Olive Egger.

 

[JaeG]

Thank you! It has been that high for a while, but I'm wondering if the sensor is a little off. The incubator only has one plug which is open. I hope that's enough air in there. The first one hatched early overnight (today is day 20). I'll wait for him to dry off and check to make sure none of the other eggs are pipping before removing him. Is it normal for one to hatch a while before the others? I don't see any others pipping and he hatched a while ago.

I recently had one hatch a whole day before anyone else on day 19. It often seems to happen. I don't leave babies in the incubator if they are dry and the first night other eggs were externally pipped, but none had hatched so I put him back in the incubator overnight so that he wouldn't be alone. By the morning he had a few friends so they all went in the brooder together.