different sources conflict re: humidity

[ebonykawai]

How do you know who is right? Some say 60-65% for the first 18 days, 80-85% for the last 3 days. On these boards, it's lower. Some 4-H websites say higher.

How do you know what's right??

 

[horsejody]

That 80 - 85 may be a wet bulb reading rather than just humidity.

 

[ebonykawai]

No, I found it at a few other places as well:

The forced-air incubator should be set at 99-99.5°F and 60-65% relative humidity (83-88°F wet bulb). The advantage of the forced-air incubator is that it is easier to maintain humidity at a constant level because of air circulation.

The relative humidity of the air within an incubator should be about 60 percent. During the last 3 days (the hatching period) the relative humidity should be nearer 65-70 percent. (Too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and results in a decreased hatch, but excessive moisture is seldom a problem in small incubators.) Too little moisture results in excessive evaporation, causing chicks to stick to the shell, remain in the pipped shells, and sometimes hatch crippled.



I hate conflicting info.

 

[jackiedon]

Different levels work for different people. I live in the south so the humidity is always high. I keep mine low.

I know that doesn't help but I have read a lot of stories from people of what works for them.

jackie

 

[horsejody]

This is what I found when the I searched our states' 4H info: "The relative humidity inside the incubator should be between 50 percent and 55 percent during the first 18 days and between 60 percent and 65 percent during the remainder of the incubation period."


http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=62

 

[horsejody]

ebonykawai,
I pm'd you something off topic.

 

[speckledhen]

I personally think over 50% the first 18 days is way too high. I live in the south and we do have some humidity, but I'm at 2000 ft elevation in the mountains, so the atmosphere isn't soupy, either. I keep mine below 50% the first 18 days; in fact, between 35 and 50%, most often in the 40's. The last three days, I try for 65%. I have very clean hatches, too.

 

[silkiechicken]

Humidity can vary and it can even depend on the shell thickness of the eggs in how fast they lose moisture! Key to hatching well is to get your bator and do a few test runs with local eggs to trouble shoot and adjust for your local conditions before buying that set of 6 eggs for fifty bucks from a breeder. Humidity is mostly a guideline. Temp however, needs to stay maintained within about 1-2% of ideal.

 

[ebonykawai]

Thanks, this has been really helpful. I didn't realise that your locale is also a factor. Very interesting!

 

[Berynn]

I think that it has to do with where you live, because I got a better hatch at 60% humidity, but I live in dry county riverside california, most of these people here are hatchaholics and I would take their advise