Humidity Question

I have had to add a small dish of water before to keep my humidity higher.  The humidity is very subjective depending on who you talk to any more.

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Originally Posted by need help 

I've heard so many different takes on the humidity inside the incubator. I've only just started...it's day 3, but I'm not totally sure where to keep my humidity. I've got it right now at about 30-35%. Most people seem to think it needs to be 50% or higher.....any suggestions for what most people think. I am in NJ and it is a pretty humid state. Should I try and increase the humidity slowly up to say 40%?

50% for the first 18 days is way to high. I learned that the hard way in my first hatch this year. Ideal is supposedly about 38-42% the first 18 days. My last hatch to make it easy I compromised and used 40%. Then on Day 18 most bring it up to 65%. I think that is still way to high. I'd say 60% because once chicks start hatching those chicks will increase your humidity.

Yes, there are so many different opinions about humidity, so that proves that it's not critical to have the absolute correct humidity.

I live in Louisiana and I am pretty much stuck with humidity over 50% whether I like it or not. So I dry incubate and usually hatch on day 22 or 23 because the water inside cannot evaporate as fast.

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Originally Posted by need help 

Just checked the incubator, it's at 99.7 degrees and about 33% humidity. I think that is ok, but I'm not sure if it falls into the range of successful hatching numbers.

Can you get the humidity in your bator up a bit. I have found incubating at 38-42% the first 18days works best. Not say that those numbers are right or wrong I have just found that's what works best for me. For someone else that might be a little low. I personally think the 33% might be a bit low.

we keep a wet sponge in ours and seems to help.....

Like everyone else has said.  You will have to find a humidity that works for you where you live and your incubator.

I incubate at 20% humidity with no added water.  I live in Northern California and that is the natural humidity in my house.  I raise the humidity to 60% for the hatch.

The reason I incubate and hatch this way is, I get a 75% to 99 % hatch rate hatching a rare breed of chicken that is very difficult to hatch.  You need the humidity to be fairly low during incubation which allows a certain amount of evaporation which allows the air cell to grow and their to be room for the chick to develope.  Then you raise the humidity during hatch so that when the chick pips and starts to hatch the outside humidity is higher and doesn't allow the membrane to shrink wrap around the chick.

I have hatched with higher humidity and have found this way works the best and gives me the best hatch rate.  Another way may work better for you but it really is up to you.

Lanae