First Timer Question - Humidity

[MeganFair]

Hey everyone! So this is my first time incubating chicken eggs, and I’m using a Nurture Right 360 incubator. Humidity is controlled by adding warm water, but I had some issues keeping the humidity constantly around 50% because the air has been really dry around here lately. I’m also keeping the incubator in my bed room - it’s the only place in the house that the kids and the animals won’t really bother it - and that’s in the basement, so it’s generally pretty cool and dry naturally. There have been a couple of times that I’ve gotten home to find the humidity has fallen to as low as 27%. The eggs are about ten days in, and I’ve gotten a better handle on how to keep the humidity up though. I plan to candle the eggs in a couple of days and to make note of the air cells to make sure that they’re the proper size.

My question is, as long as I keep the humidity to a proper level for the rest of the hatch, what - if any - effects will these times of low humidity have on the hatch?

 

[Wezdin]

So you will get a lot of conflicting opinions of what humidity to have, I personally like to keep my humidity low, close to dry. The humidity swings should not affect anything, just be sure to put humidity up for the last bit and you should be set!
Good luck!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

The drop in humidity isn't going to hurt anything at this stage. The only time you really need to be concerned about keeping humidity more consistent is at hatch. I do feel the type of incubator you're using will effect where you want to keep the humidity more so than some of the other factors but there are a lot of factors, location, how porous the eggs are, elevation...so keep an eye on your air cells to determine if you should increase or decrease humidity in your own hatch.

In personal experience, I have 2 NR360s and I have been allowing mine to fluctuate a bit more on my current hatches anywhere from 40-50% and the air cells all look great. I would normally keep it between 45-55%, so I guess I'm saying that from all of the hatches I've done in the NR360s you have a fairly large window of humidity that works well for the first 18 days of incubation without worries 40-55%. I typically increase to 65% for hatch. Good luck!

 

[Rose Quartz]

So far for me it's been fine with normal size chicken eggs, but bantam eggs I lost a whole bunch with inconsistent humidity. Though that was a case of it being too high. Keep an eye on the aircells like you're planning.

Personally I run mine with no added humidity for the first 18 days unless my aircells look too big.

 

[MeganFair]

Thank all of you! Your answers were really helpful.

I am glad to say that you all were completely right. The eggs looked good when checked the air cells, and I’m listening to my new little ones peeping already! Two pretty Amercaunas, and one lusty Easter Egger has made its way out of the shell. Hopefully I will have most of the hatch done by morning.

 

[Wezdin]

Thank all of you! Your answers were really helpful.

I am glad to say that you all were completely right. The eggs looked good when checked the air cells, and I’m listening to my new little ones peeping already! Two pretty Amercaunas, and one lusty Easter Egger has made its way out of the shell. Hopefully I will have most of the hatch done by morning.