Hatching chicken eggs

[kmorton]

What is the high and low temp. range you need to stay in when incubating chicken eggs?

 

[Farmgirl47]

"Chicken eggs should be incubated at a temperature between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit (99.5 is often considered to be ideal) and 50 to 65 percent relative humidity (60 percent is often considered the ideal)."

 

[AmyLynn2374]

What is the high and low temp. range you need to stay in when incubating chicken eggs?

It depends on your incubator. If you have a still air, you need 101-102F taken near the tops of the egg. If you have a forced air (fan installed) then you need 99.5F

If you're bator runs slightly lower, say a degree, chances are you are going to see a slight delay in hatch, a degree warmer and chances are you'll see slightly early hatching.

I have an old LG9200 with fan. I am happy if I can keep it above 99 and under 101.5. It usually runs a bit warm at 100-100.5 and I usually see pipping on day 19.

With a still air, I wouldn't want to see temps under 100.5 or higher than 102.5. That's a personal observation.

The more steady your incubator is and the closer to the optimal temps the better chances you have for on time hatches with higher rates (providing the rest of the elements were optimal as well.)

 

[AmyLynn2374]

"Chicken eggs should be incubated at a temperature between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit (99.5 is often considered to be ideal) and 50 to 65 percent relative humidity (60 percent is often considered the ideal)."

I have to disagree with humidity, especially in styro bators. Low humidity methods have proven in many cases to be the ideal (with the exception of high altitude hatching,) and usually 60% for the incubation period will result in drowned chicks come time to hatch. I personally don't like seeing humidity over 40% during incubation. I use 30% for incubation. Now at hatch time, the more the better and I use 75% because I am not a hands off hatcher. Hands off hatchers could do well at 65% Alot has to do with your incubator, your climate, your eggs and your habits. There is no best range or number for humidity overall for everyone and monitoring the air cell is your best bet at figuring what humidity works for you.

 

[kuchchicks]

I have to disagree with humidity, especially in styro bators. Low humidity methods have proven in many cases to be the ideal (with the exception of high altitude hatching,) and usually 60% for the incubation period will result in drowned chicks come time to hatch. I personally don't like seeing humidity over 40% during incubation. I use 30% for incubation. Now at hatch time, the more the better and I use 75% because I am not a hands off hatcher. Hands off hatchers could do well at 65% Alot has to do with your incubator, your climate, your eggs and your habits. There is no best range or number for humidity overall for everyone and monitoring the air cell is your best bet at figuring what humidity works for you.

x2! When I first began hatching I followed the "directions" that came with the incubator. It said it was ideal to incubate days 1-17 at 55% and then raise to 65% for lock down. It was a terrible hatch. I only had 30% hatch. The other eggs that had made it to lock down but did not hatch were fully developed and most had internally pipped but that was it. They all appeared to have drowned. On my next hatched I hatched "dry". I only added water when my humidity hit 25% and then only allowed it to go to 35%. At lock down I bumped it to 75%. That hatched was 74%. Each hatch since then I incubated dry. and my hatch rates have continued to rise.

However with all of this said I closely monitor my air cells. My biggest reason is because depending on the time of year I have had to change my humidity slightly. If you watch those cells and make sure that they line up with where they should be on days 7, 14, and lock down you should be good.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I agree, sometimes I don't lock down until first pip.

 

[Farmgirl47]

I have to disagree with humidity, especially in styro bators. Low humidity methods have proven in many cases to be the ideal (with the exception of high altitude hatching,) and usually 60% for the incubation period will result in drowned chicks come time to hatch. I personally don't like seeing humidity over 40% during incubation. I use 30% for incubation. Now at hatch time, the more the better and I use 75% because I am not a hands off hatcher. Hands off hatchers could do well at 65% Alot has to do with your incubator, your climate, your eggs and your habits. There is no best range or number for humidity overall for everyone and monitoring the air cell is your best bet at figuring what humidity works for you.

Oh, I just got that off of Google.

I don't really know anything about the humidity.