Humidity in incubator

[Farmgirl47]

Where should the humidity be at in an incubator? I have 8-9 eggs in mine right now, they should hatch in about 6 days.

 

[JaeG]

What kind of eggs are they? Generally you keep the humidity around 35-45% (depending on what you are incubating) and bump it up to 60% plus in the last three days for 'lockdown'. For quail I keep the humidity at 45% and bump it up to 80% for lockdown so that I can open the incubator to take out chicks (button quail chicks need to eat pretty soon after hatching) without drying out any other eggs that are pipping. A high humidity is important in that final stage to keep the egg membrane hydrated and prevent the chicks becoming shrink wrapped and suffocating as the membrane dries out. A lower humidity at the start of incubation in also important so that the egg loses enough moisture to create enough of an air pocket in the air cell to sustain the chick until it can make an external pip.

 

[Farmgirl47]

They are chicken eggs. Thanks for the information!