incubator temps and humidity help!

[hannah8]

what does everyone keep their temperature and humidity at? i have a styrofoam hovabator which is forced air.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

what does everyone keep their temperature and humidity at? i have a styrofoam hovabator which is forced air.

Forced air should be an average of 99.5 during the incubation. Humidity...well...most strive for 40-50% for the first 17 days and at LEAST 65% during lockdown. (I shoot for at least 75% at lockdown/hatch.) I do dry incubation now for the first 17 days. The important thing is to monitor the air cells in the eggs to make sure they are growing at the right rate. This will let you know if and how you need to alter the humidty.

 

[hannah8]

okay thanks!

 

[jaredthefox]

I have a home made incubator that's stays between 99.5 and 100.5. That's the temp that I like working at. I vote for dry incubation as long as humidity stays above 35%. During lockdown I prefer 70-80%. I also have forced air

 

[Mamashash]

I have a home made incubator that's stays between 99.5 and 100.5. That's the temp that I like working at. I vote for dry incubation as long as humidity stays above 35%. During lockdown I prefer 70-80%. I also have forced air

Quick question - I have been trying to get the humidity up in my diy incubator and it is harder than it sounds!
Do you just leave it be? Mine without water sits right at 35%.
I will probably leave the small water dish in this time, but if you get good hatch rates without the bother then that may be the way I need to go!

I am trying to hatch some of my araucanas or amauracanas - love those blue eggs! I tried to find some babies, but no one in East Texas seemed to want to part with any!

 

[jaredthefox]

Quick question - I have been trying to get the humidity up in my diy incubator and it is harder than it sounds!
Do you just leave it be? Mine without water sits right at 35%.
I will probably leave the small water dish in this time, but if you get good hatch rates without the bother then that may be the way I need to go!

I am trying to hatch some of my araucanas or amauracanas - love those blue eggs! I tried to find some babies, but no one in East Texas seemed to want to part with any!

How to turn a refrigerator into an incubator

Phase 1 = how to build it

Phase 2 = how to use it

Phase 3 = candling and hatching

Since I got this set up and it's so easy to keep my humidity exactly what I want I keep my humidity at 55% all the time. When a chick begins to hatch it raises my humidity up to 70%. Than after whoever is hatching has hatched I open the door and let the humidity out and than it goes back to 55%.

I live in Marshall tx and I raise blue egg chicks and much more. You should check out my farm fb pg. Shankle farm. I'll sell you whatever you would like.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Quick question - I have been trying to get the humidity up in my diy incubator and it is harder than it sounds!

Do you just leave it be? Mine without water sits right at 35%.
I will probably leave the small water dish in this time, but if you get good hatch rates without the bother then that may be the way I need to go!

I am trying to hatch some of my araucanas or amauracanas - love those blue eggs! I tried to find some babies, but no one in East Texas seemed to want to part with any!

I prefer to run at 30-35% for the first 17 days. I use the low humidity method and swear by it especially in styro bators. The key though, no matter what kind of bator, especially when you are new or using a new bator, is to monitor your air cells and that will help you in how to adjust the humidity. This link explains it: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

At lockdown when I go up to 75% and on top of filling my water wells I also add wet sponged to the bator to give me that extra increase.

It will depend on what the bator is made of and it's size as well as ventilation how much is going to best for you. That's why I always recommmended using the air cells as a guide.