What is the ideal humidity for hatching in an incubator?

[mom2chicksandpups]

I have read different things, so I wanted to find out what humidity level has worked best for some of you that are more experienced at hatching in an incubator. What humidity is ideal for the first 18 days and after day 18 when they come out of the egg turner?

I have a Hova Bator with a fan if that makes a difference. We also use an egg turner.

 

[walkswithdog]

See? Generally - those rules that came with a commercial bator WORK for the largest percentage of people, in the largest percentage of hatching situations.

That's why they're instructions with the incubator and written rules on websites and in books. Because MOST people will have decent or good hatches IN THAT RANGE.

Then there are the people for whom the rules did NOT work. Their bator, or their house, or their altitude or their microclimate demands a different set of "house rules." And you only develop those with practice and attention.

At my house the rules kill a hatch every time - I can get about 30% to hatch if I follow the rules like religion which is flat icky.

Now I dry hatch and here it works. I rarely worry about humidity at all.

The bad news is you don't live in someone else's house, microclimate, altitude and you don't have their incubator.

So you get to follow the rules until you find out what works and what doesn't. You tweak in small steps until you get what you want. Clean, easy hatches of most or all the eggs that developed.

Hatching is NOT a science - it's part art and part nature, part miracle. Or they'd call it Chickening. Like fishing is NOT catching.

You don't get to count your chickens until they're hatched, dry, standing, walking and eating and drinking.

 

[Grillo]

Alex,

I have only hatched 3 batches, but I´ve had very decent hatches. I use 45 - 50 % humidity, so if I may advice, in your case I would lower, not increase the humidity for days 1-18 and I have had no problems hatching in the 60´s (preferably 65) % for days 19-21 Last time out I hatched 17 out of 20. Good luck!



Quote:

 

[astylishgirl]

I think humidity is the most difficult thing. And it changes so much! You put water in and it rises and then slowly goes down. And you have to open the bator which everyone says NOT to do.

My husband made something for me to help with humidity. A funnel with clear tubing attached. I can put it through the hole and add water that way. I am going to try it for my next hatch.

I hope SOMEONE has some sort of answer for this question on humidity.

 

[Alex Kwong]

My last hatch was 2 weeks ago, for the first 18 days ~50-55% and last few days ~60-70%. 4 hatched (2 @ day 19, 2 @ day 20) and 6 did not pip the shells out and die inside. I took it out at day 25.
Now I'm Incubating another 30 eggs (@ day 9 now) and try to control at ~60-70% for the first 18 days.

 

[onthespot]

My best results have been when I shoot for 45-50 during the first 18 days and around 60-65 the last three. I have tried "dry incubating" with only disastrous results.

 

[LoveMyBirds]

Quote:
On my 1583 Hova, it works good around 35% 45% and I noticed and now try to keep the temp 99.5 or under... if you see 100 degrees turn temp down slightly... This one has fan and turner..

I have 2 more hovas which I put fans in, but the 1602N Hova really sux in both the temp and humidity.. I get about 1/2 hatch rate in it.

The other Hova is a 1582 like the 1583 big window, but without a turner.. It works pretty good, but I have to watch the humidity in it..

My 1583 is the best one.. The humidity stays pretty constant around 35% where I very seldom have to add water.. The temp also usually stays near the 99.5 degrees.. I usually have pretty good hatch rates in that one..

On the last 3 days, I have tried both ways, just let the humidity stay same around 35-45% until eggs start hatching then humidity goes up anyway, and I have added the sponges for higher humidity but didn't really see much better results.. Actually worse results..

3 incubators times 2 rounds of hatchings this year and on 3rd round on the 1583..

 

[eggbeforchicken]

PS has any one put Hygrometer Meter under a broody hen ?
mum knows best

 

[Mahonri]

You are going to hear something different from almost every person.

Most will tell you 35 to 40% days 1-18, 60-70% days 19-end of hatch.

I would LOVE to know the answer to that question for my 1588. Even though I think my major problem was temperature, I also have no clue if my humidity was every right because I had two gauges and both read differently... my two thermometors were 3 degrees different both times.

Good luck.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Well, I am just finishing up my own first hatch. I kept the humidity around 45-50% on days 1-18. It dropped a few times, but we tried to check it several times per day so it didn't get too low. After day 18, I kept it between 70-80% because that is what I had read in an incubating guide. Honestly, it usually stayed between 70-75% because I was afraid of getting it TOO high. Out of the 11 eggs that I still had in the incubator, it appears that 9 will hatch. Not too bad for my first try. I will crack open the last 2 if they don't hatch to see if I can guess what happened to them.

I did take out 6 others during the 1st couple of weeks that weren't fertile. My husband's friend free ranges his chickens and that's who we got those eggs from, so I guess the hens are too fast for the rooster some days.