Can I have your thoughts on humidity for bantams?

[Shannon's Chix]

I have a Brinsea Octagon Eco, have had 3 successful LF hatches using "dry incubation" and "dry hatching". This is my first set of bantams and I thought I saw somewhere that bantam eggs need more humidity? I really don't want to mess up this hatch...blue mottled d'uccles!

Would appreciate any advice!

 

[BawGock]

Hello,
I usually incubate large fowl 45-50% for the first 18 days then 65-70% until hatch.
I only have bantam experience with silkies which I just started to try this season and I was told by the person I bought them from to have them at 50-55% the first 18 days.
They dried down at the proper rate and I didn't drown any, which I feared might happen. Day 18 to hatch they were at 65-70%.
Carolyn

 

[Shannon's Chix]

Thanks Carolyn!

 

[BawGock]

You're welcome!

Hopefully some folks that hatched a lot more bantams than I will post their experiences, too.
Carolyn

 

[babsbag]

I can't say that I have hatched a lot of anything

But I just finished my first hatch and they were all bantams. Out of 12 bantam eggs, 2 didn't develop at all and one stopped after being almost fully formed. The other 9 hatched on day 19. I kept my humidity low days 1-16, less than 35%. On day 16 I started raising it gradually until I got to about 70% on day 18. I didn't expect them to come early as my temps were usually low so I don't know why they hatched early, but they did. I read on BYC where someone said that the smaller eggs dry out quicker, but I didn't read that until I had incubated using the "dry" method so I didn't know what to expect, but it worked out ok.

Good luck with your hatch.

 

[Munkeesmama]

I incubated my bantams at 45% humidity days 1-18, and then upped to 60% humidity. I think I'd go with 65-70% humidity though as I had to help 3 out of their shells. My LF eggs did just fine though.

 

[emvickrey]

I've read different opinions about different incubators and size of eggs etc. I've taken all the advice that I've read. But, personally what works for me is a lower humidity between 45 and 50 on days 1 - 18. They go on lockdown the night of day 18 because they always seem to hatch early. Some as early as day 18. I raise the humidity to be around 50 and 60 but prefer to keep it on the low side of 50. They don't hatch all sticky. I keep my temps around 98.4 and 101.5. My bator fluctuates

For the most part I stay in the room the incubator is in and baby sit it to try to keep it around 100 - 101 in temp. It has gotten as high as 104 through the night and humidity as low as 27 and still eggs hatch.

I use sponges to help raise the humidity. I cut them in strips and place in the wells and along the outside edge on top of the screen. If I want to raise it I just add water to a strip of sponge till it is where I want it. Works for me.

I hope this helped.