How do I get the humidity down safely??

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

to each his own! Check up on it

 

[newchickenfamily]

Ack! Everyone has different opinions! Condensation is not building up at all (at this point) so I think I'm OK for now. Got pip #2!! Thanks guys!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

you're in good shape then! Go 80% !

 

[timbofarms]

Leave it alone and watch.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

If there is no condensation on the windows from moisture your ok in my book. good luck!!

 

[timbofarms]

I agree

 

[newchickenfamily]

Thanks for the moral support everyone!! So nice to get some instant feedback!! It really helps!!!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It seems like everyone uses different humidity settings, and yet everyone's eggs hatch.

I think too many are striving for perfection when it's not needed,
Chickens have been doing it for a long time without hygrometers.

 

[Akane]

Check up on it

Ok try these links and quotes from their humidity sections:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/8.html#L3C

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.

http://www.aviagen.com/docs/Measuring Egg Water Loss.pdf

Low incubator humidity will increase egg weight (water) loss and high incubator humidity will decrease egg weight loss.

Kinda worded backward but right there it says the egg will lose more weight and water with lower humidity.

http://www.americansilkiebantamclub.org/monitoring_egg_weight.htm very good site on humidity and egg weight loss over incubating

Many articles indicate that the most common reason for hatch failures is too much humidity... not enough moisture has evaporated out of the egg over the 21 days of incubation.

Eggs that lose too much moisture (low humidity levels) produce small chicks with large air spaces. These chicks are often weak and may die before or during hatching. Slightly lower humidity levels are more likely to be less disastrous than slightly higher humidity levels.

http://www.ostrichresources.com/show_sub.php?id=3&sid=9&page=ostrich_eggs/incubation.html
Ostrich eggs but still applies to humidity affects on moisture and weight loss

if your eggs are losing an average of say 16% then by increasing the relative humidity you are increasing the amount of water in the air of the incubator and therefore making it more difficult for the egg to lose weight. Conversely if you find that your eggs are losing on average 13%, and your desire is to obtain an egg weight loss of 15%, then you need to decrease your relative humidity by 6%.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/tech_manuals/cage_free/incubating_eggs.pdf

Yet, too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and decreases hatching.​

 

[Suellyn]

I agree with Akane

dry air = moisture loss/evaporation is possible = less moisture in egg, bigger air cell, egg weighs less

wet/humid air = not much evaporation possible = smaller air cell, egg weighs more'

*THAT* part is basic science... !!

The big, million dollar question that is debated ad infinitum is: "What is the BEST humidity levels to use, to ensure the most successful hatch possible?"

This is a hotly debated topic, you will NEVER get agreement from everybody. or one definitive "right" answer. There are TONS of threads on here that go into it (!!!!!!).

Anyway, I chose to use a "dry incubation" method, humidity at 37 - 42% for days 1-18, then 55 - 64% days 19 thru hatch. My 'bator shot up to 70% at one point on day 19 (which would be perfectly acceptable to plenty of people), and I DID crack lid open BRIEFLY to get it down (already had both vent plugs out for ventilation), worked out fine. Had 9 out of 10 eggs hatch, and the 10th egg looked like it had stopped developing around day 15, so had nothing to do with humidity levels on days 19 - 21.

Good luck!!

I agree that hens have been doing it without hygrometers, and that eggs are probably hardier than we give them credit for sometimes (!!), BUT one of the biggest reasons I decided to go with a bit drier humidity levels, is because I've never heard of a broody & her eggs being drippy wet thru-out incubation, which I think they WOULD be if incubated at some of the levels I've read about!!!