Humidity Level Poll

During incubation Day Zero through Day Seventeen, where do you keep your humidity level?

  • Below 35%

    Votes: 7 25.9%
  • Between 35% and 40%

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • Between 40% and 45%

    Votes: 5 18.5%
  • Between 45% and 50%

    Votes: 7 25.9%
  • Between 50% and 55%

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Above 55%

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    27

TheBajan

Songster
Mar 18, 2018
332
1,060
216
Davisburg, Michigan
There is a wide range of opinions regarding humidity levels. Looking online for recomendations from both incubator manufactures to large and small hatcheries, it can be a bit daunting. Some say to keep it at 55% and others recommend 35%. It's a bit overwhelming for a novice. So, please let me know what you choose and if you want, I would apprecicate feedback in the comments as to why you decided that your level works for you. Hopefully this will help me and all of the other newbies to decide what's best for our incubation systems. Thanks!
 
There is a wide range of opinions regarding humidity levels. Looking online for recomendations from both incubator manufactures to large and small hatcheries, it can be a bit daunting. Some say to keep it at 55% and others recommend 35%. It's a bit overwhelming for a novice. So, please let me know what you choose and if you want, I would apprecicate feedback in the comments as to why you decided that your level works for you. Hopefully this will help me and all of the other newbies to decide what's best for our incubation systems. Thanks!
I do 35-45% actually. I get the best weight loss and the perfect air cell size with this percentage. It depends a lot on your elevation, climate (location), how pourous your eggs are, incubator type, etc. It will be interesting to see the result of this poll.
 
I do 35-45% actually. I get the best weight loss and the perfect air cell size with this percentage. It depends a lot on your elevation, climate (location), how pourous your eggs are, incubator type, etc. It will be interesting to see the result of this poll.
Thank you so much for that info. This is what I'm hoping to get from more experienced breeders. From the wide range of recommendations, I have suspected that there's not really a perfect, one-size fits all answer and this helps to both confirm and explain that. Hopefully we will continue to get more feedback.
 
I am by no means experienced in incubating (we usually rely on broodies), but I just finished up my first hatch using an incubator. We kept the humidity at about 35% until day 17, then bumped it up to around 60% or so after that. All but two of the eggs that went on lock down hatched, and upon further inspection, I don't think those two were viable going into lock down. We ended up with about a 50% hatch rate, but most of the eggs were shipped, so I'm sure that factored into it. We added in 8 of our own eggs, and got 100% with those. :)
 
The eggs I've been incubating from my silkie flock seem to do well at an average of 30-35% for the first 18 days. I usually have to run dry to achieve this as I live in a very humid area. I definitely agree that there really isn't a one size fits all as far as humidity goes as there are so many factors that go into it. I'd say tracking air cell growth and adjusting humidity based off that is an essential tool in learning what humidity works best. :)
 
The eggs I've been incubating from my silkie flock seem to do well at an average of 30-35% for the first 18 days. I usually have to run dry to achieve this as I live in a very humid area. I definitely agree that there really isn't a one size fits all as far as humidity goes as there are so many factors that go into it. I'd say tracking air cell growth and adjusting humidity based off that is an essential tool in learning what humidity works best. :)
Thank you for your input
 
I am by no means experienced in incubating (we usually rely on broodies), but I just finished up my first hatch using an incubator. We kept the humidity at about 35% until day 17, then bumped it up to around 60% or so after that. All but two of the eggs that went on lock down hatched, and upon further inspection, I don't think those two were viable going into lock down. We ended up with about a 50% hatch rate, but most of the eggs were shipped, so I'm sure that factored into it. We added in 8 of our own eggs, and got 100% with those. :)
Thank you.
 
I'm on day eight of my first hatch using our own eggs and a few from our neighbor. We put in 28 of our own and 8 of our neighbors. Without any way of knowing my rooster's fertility rate I didn't know what to expect. Of the 36 total, 1 had a lot of bubbles, 2 are quitters, 16 are fertile, and the remainder I am still not sure about. Our rooster had severe frostbite just over a year ago and I have heard that will render him sterile. Obviously not true but it may have affected his rate of fertility. I've had my humidity at 55%-61% up until yesterday when I finally figured out how to lower it. Right now I have it between 47%-49%. I've been so nervous about it being on higher side. At any rate, this is my 'practice' hatch. Any out come will be a learning experience.
 

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