Humidity Level Poll

[TheBajan]

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!

 

[MGG]

I'll tag some members for you. @CluckNDoodle @WVduckchick @Pyxis @BirdsBeesTrees @Isaac 0
@Mvan42

 

[WVduckchick]

It’s super humid where I live, so I incubate with zero water until internal pips. I don’t really pay attention to the “number” but I think it runs mostly around 25-30%

@TheBajan You might be interested in the Red link in my signature block below.

 

[TheBajan]

I wanted to come back to this thread and update where I am with humidity and how i got there. During my test hatch, I began with humidity around 55%. I was following guidelines I found online. Reading so many posts here and in other forums, I began to question if that was a good range. Around the middle of that hatch I lowered my levels to between 45% -50% and then raised it to 65% during lock-down.
Today is day 21 of my second hatch. This time around I weighed all of my eggs prior to setting them. I created a graph of their total average start weight and set the target weight at 13% less for day 21. Drawing a line between those two points, I was able to weigh them anytime during incubation and determine if they were losing enough weight or too much. I also decided that to start out, I would begin with 45%-47% humidity since my first batch seemed to have smaller than average air cells. This proved to be a good level for me. When I weighed them on day 7, they were all spot on! I would love to say thanks to the BYC member who suggested this method. I was having a very hard time seeing inside the eggs to measure air cells and I found this to me a very accurate method of monitoring progress.
Thanks to all who took the time to participate and especially made comments and suggestions. It is much appreciated!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'll tag some members for you. @CluckNDoodle @WVduckchick @Pyxis @BirdsBeesTrees @Isaac 0
@Mvan42

I base humidity on air cell growth or weight. Somewhere between 35-55% for the first 18 days, most commonly 45% so that's what I marked on the poll. 65% for hatch.

I do find that in my chicken room with incubators running side by side, in the same environment, that the type of incubator you're using will also make a difference. The humidity I stated above is mostly for my Nurture Right 360, the IncuView I tend to run on the higher end of humidity because I see more dry chicks and the exact opposite is true for the styrofoam incubators I have used. Farm Innovators, Little Giant, and Hovabator I ran approximately 10% lower on average.

 

[SteveUK]

My point is. What ever works for you is the right answer.

My own opinion is most people start off sticking to the Google answer and after a few goes realise it's a good start, it's not right for them.

My personal preference for:
Chickens 45% first 18 days 70% lockdown.
Quail 35% first 15 days 70% locked. I have a auto humidity pump, but if I didn't I would be happy with 40-45% and 30-35%.
IMO lower humidity up until lockdown gives the best balance between the chick not getting too big and the air sack being big enough.

 

[TheBajan]

My point is. What ever works for you is the right answer.

My own opinion is most people start off sticking to the Google answer and after a few goes realise it's a good start, it's not right for them.

My personal preference for:
Chickens 45% first 18 days 70% lockdown.
Quail 35% first 15 days 70% locked. I have a auto humidity pump, but if I didn't I would be happy with 40-45% and 30-35%.
IMO lower humidity up until lockdown gives the best balance between the chick not getting too big and the air sack being big enough.

Thank you so much. The "Google" answer led me to believe that 55%-60% is the right answer. However, I began to question that as I searched these threads and have lowered my humidity to 45%-47%. I will continue to adapt as I learn here. I appreciate your input (and levity).

 

[Pyxis]

I use right around 30% for the first 18 days. That's always yielded the best results for me personally. But the best humidity to use varies by location

 

[MGG]

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.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So, in my case, I am using a DIY styrofoam cabinet incubator. It's rather large with an interior dimensions of 16"x18"x31". Are you saying that you typically would run this at a lower humidity point?
View attachment 2150217

It would be hard to say without using something similar, but yes, in my experience incubation humidity has been noticeably different between plastic and styrofoam incubators. Styrofoam, in most cases, requires less water added to increase the humidity in general and I had better hatches when keeping humidity in the lower range.

Again, I always base my humidity adjustments on air cell growth or weight. This will be the best gauge for you when using any new incubator or when changing the environment that you use the incubator. That's why suggestions are all across the board. Even the elevation you live at will change your desired humidity level. At higher elevation the eggs will lose weight faster than at sea level.

These are examples of air cell growth on a Silkie hatch where I documented both weight and air cell development. Day 0, 7, 15, and 18. It was also a 100% hatch rate so it's a good example of what you want to see in developing air cells. Good luck on your hatch!