Dry incubation in Florida

[Mrs.SWhite89]

If you live in Florida in our humid climate what % are you running for dry incubation. What % do you up it to on day 18? Thinking of trying it this round. I have 42 eggs from local chicken people. Last round had 32 only 6 developed 2 early quitters rest not fertile, 3 if the 6 didn't complete turning in the egg and pipped a vein. Incubator is running empty at the moment to see where the humidity sits by itself with no water added with a calibrated hydrometer in it.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I also live in Fl. This time of year is low humidity. So adjust for season as needed.
Once April arrives, I run dry incubators until day 17-ish. I try to achieve 62-65% RH upon hatch date.
Too much humidity has resulted in catastrophic results with drowning, leg splay and the need for assistance of unzipping.
I use a modified turkey baster with an aquarium tube to add or remove water.
Also use 2 meters to read your levels. I always get a second opinion from an aux meter. My Built in meter lies to me sometimes. If there is condensation dripping of your lid windows, your humidity is too high.

 

[Mrs.SWhite89]

I also live in Fl. This time of year is low humidity. So adjust for season as needed.
Once April arrives, I run dry incubators until day 17-ish. I try to achieve 62-65% RH upon hatch date.
Too much humidity has resulted in catastrophic results with drowning, leg splay and the need for assistance of unzipping.
I use a modified turkey baster with an aquarium tube to add or remove water.
Also use 2 meters to read your levels. I always get a second opinion from an aux meter. My Built in meter lies to me sometimes. If there is condensation dripping of your lid windows, your humidity is too high.
View attachment 1273525

I have 3 temp gauges and 3 hydrometers for the incubator. I know the built in one lies sometimes had issues with it already misreading. Sitting them out in the house it reads our house at 65-70% humidity, it's a mobile home which I'm sure makes a difference.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have 3 temp gauges and 3 hydrometers for the incubator. I know the built in one lies sometimes had issues with it already misreading. Sitting them out in the house it reads our house at 65-70% humidity, it's a mobile home which I'm sure makes a difference.

Does inside the bator match the room reading? The heater in the bator may dry the air within.

 

[Mrs.SWhite89]

Does inside the bator match the room reading? The heater in the bator may dry the air within.

No the incubator will drop in humidity with the heat. Unit is saying 28% while my calibrated hydrometer that is 3% higher says 35%

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I try to achieve 62-65% RH upon hatch date.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I live in the pacific northwest on the coast. My average room humidity can vary from 60-75% normally. Very often 80-99% humidity outdoors.

When I run my incubator COMPLETELY dry, it is often around 37% in there this time of year. I hatch French black copper Marans, Silkies, Swedish Flower, OE, Rocks, Sex links... on and on with the breeds. When you add eggs to an empty bator it also increases the humidity very slightly because now their evaporation is adding to the air in there.

Day 1-18 I keep my humidity around 40%. It goes to 50 right when I add water (to a semi-flexible tin foil boat, I don't use the wells as I hate cleaning them) and creeps to within my range before long. I let it run at 37% for several hours or most of the day before adding water again. My goal is to stay MOSTLY between 40-45% humidity. Day 18 I work all day to get my humidity right, which is 60-65% depending on how many eggs I've got going. Less eggs, 65.. more eggs 60%, this is because once hatching starts humidity can spike making too much condensation on the window when I have a lot of eggs. And dripping isn't good.

In my still air incubator I get different humidity/temp readings at different locations. I combat this by moving the eggs to a different location once each day to help ensure even development. This seriously HELPS my hatches to stay tight, usually within 12 hours. I have discovered that moving to new locations is equally important in my forced air bators for even development and just because you have an egg turner doesn't mean set it and forget it. Very seldom do I have early pippers or late hatchers, and don't even allow for it anymore. Usually day 22 I unplug and move on. That would be if I ever unplugged! But in breeding quality, uniform hatch is a good indicator of other things to come.

Using this method I usually get between 80-100% hatch rate on all breeds. Anytime I have gotten less than was due to power outage or previously verified working thermometer failure and temp spike in bator.

I guess to be honest, I don't even use a hygrometer in my "hatcher" anymore and go solely according to what I see on the window! I don't recommend it though.

Hope this is helpful information.. End suggestion.. 40-45% humidity first 18 days. 60-65% day 18-hatch, is what works VERY well for me in my "humid" location. But personally think the ONLY thing effected by ambient humidity is how mach water you need to add to reach the desired humidity inside the bator.

Good luck
Happy hatching!

 

[Mrs.SWhite89]

I live in the pacific northwest on the coast. My average room humidity can vary from 60-75% normally. Very often 80-99% humidity outdoors.

When I run my incubator COMPLETELY dry, it is often around 37% in there this time of year. I hatch French black copper Marans, Silkies, Swedish Flower, OE, Rocks, Sex links... on and on with the breeds. When you add eggs to an empty bator it also increases the humidity very slightly because now their evaporation is adding to the air in there.

Day 1-18 I keep my humidity around 40%. It goes to 50 right when I add water (to a semi-flexible tin foil boat, I don't use the wells as I hate cleaning them) and creeps to within my range before long. I let it run at 37% for several hours or most of the day before adding water again. My goal is to stay MOSTLY between 40-45% humidity. Day 18 I work all day to get my humidity right, which is 60-65% depending on how many eggs I've got going. Less eggs, 65.. more eggs 60%, this is because once hatching starts humidity can spike making too much condensation on the window when I have a lot of eggs. And dripping isn't good.

In my still air incubator I get different humidity/temp readings at different locations. I combat this by moving the eggs to a different location once each day to help ensure even development. This seriously HELPS my hatches to stay tight, usually within 12 hours. I have discovered that moving to new locations is equally important in my forced air bators for even development and just because you have an egg turner doesn't mean set it and forget it. Very seldom do I have early pippers or late hatchers, and don't even allow for it anymore. Usually day 22 I unplug and move on. That would be if I ever unplugged! But in breeding quality, uniform hatch is a good indicator of other things to come.

Using this method I usually get between 80-100% hatch rate on all breeds. Anytime I have gotten less than was due to power outage or previously verified working thermometer failure and temp spike in bator.

I guess to be honest, I don't even use a hygrometer in my "hatcher" anymore and go solely according to what I see on the window! I don't recommend it though.

Hope this is helpful information.. End suggestion.. 40-45% humidity first 18 days. 60-65% day 18-hatch, is what works VERY well for me in my "humid" location. But personally think the ONLY thing effected by ambient humidity is how mach water you need to add to reach the desired humidity inside the bator.

Good luck
Happy hatching!

Thanks, I'll shoot for 40% during incubation and 65% during lockdown and see if I have better success.