Humidity drops during night time

[awalters09]

Hello everyone,
I am a first grade teacher and this is the first time I am hatching Pekin Ducks Eggs. I have the Kebonnixs automatic machine. Everything goes well during the day. I ahve been keeping them 99>5 temp with 56% - 62% humidity. Before I left my classroom last nightthe humidity was rasing quickly for some reason and i took the water off and it satyed for a while at 60%. This morning I came to find them at 43 % Woudl this changes damages the embryo. Is this the recommended temp and humidity ? I am scared and I dont know what to do to have a succesfull hatching and my students be happy at the end of our project. Also I want to keep the ducklings Any help I would appreciate

 

[Susan Skylark]

Don’t fret about humidity so much, quail actually are supposed to be 45% but many people dry hatch and run 20-35%. I’ve hatched successfully at 10% and 80% all incubation. Temperature and turning have major impacts on viability but humidity is much more forgiving, try for an average. Mine is 7% in the morning, I add water and it is 79% for part of the day, but the eggs still hatch. Lockdown needs constant high humidity but otherwise it is pretty forgiving. Somewhere between 45-55% during incubation and 65-75% during lockdown are quail norms, not sure on ducks but would assume similar, and a spike or sudden drop isn’t a big deal, unless chicks are actively pipping (just don’t open incubator during lockdown).

 

[Island Coppers]

awalters09,​

Welcome to BYC!

It's great you're doing this for your students, just the kind of thing that would involve and keep them interested. Susan Skylark's advise is spot on, imho.