Humidity

[Mill Chick]

Quick question what is the humidity supposed to be for silkie chicken eggs during incubation?
I have heard that you should have it at 45%-55% and some say 30%-40% during the first 17 days
I will be getting the eggs tomorrow I am exited and want to do EVERYTHING right!

 

[GodLovesU]

@Debbie292d

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Humidity isn't a set number for any specific breed. The porosity varies from breed to breed, line to line, bird to bird and sometimes even egg to egg.
However, if all are from the same line of chickens, they tend to be more consistent in moisture loss.
What you are trying to achieve is about 11-13% weight loss by the time you move eggs to the hatcher or what some call, 'lock down'.
That is essential so is more important than hygrometer reading. A gram scale is more accurate for hatchability.

 

[007Sean]

I agree with @ChickenCanoe it's the most accurate method, also the most time consuming but a good general rule is 30 to 35%Rh during incubation, regardless of location, if you can keep the %Rh within that range, it will be close enough to where they need to be as far as weight loss....provided it's an air forced incubator.
Edit to correct spelling.

 

[Kiki]

Order some of these today!
https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Hygrom...ocphy=1026481&hvtargid=pla-1950653192158&th=1

Do NOT trust the reading on your incubator for temperature or humidity. It's usually off.

I run my bator at 30% humidity and only bump it up to 50% on hatch day.

 

[Debbie292d]

Quick question what is the humidity supposed to be for silkie chicken eggs during incubation?
I have heard that you should have it at 45%-55% and some say 30%-40% during the first 17 days
I will be getting the eggs tomorrow I am exited and want to do EVERYTHING right!

Some sites describe Silkie eggs as like porcelain and suggest a bit higher humidity than regular eggs. Yet, there are those that dry hatch them successfully.

Consider mother hens sit on eggs and don’t make humidity adjustments depending on which breed eggs they are sitting on, but we are trying to just set it at what gives the best results.

I keep my silkie eggs at 40-45%, then 65-70% at lockdown.

I have four incubators and only one reads correctly. It’s important to get a different hygrometer/thermometer to check. It could improve hatch rate. Govee is the brand I use and have several, some are Wi-Fi and some not.

I wish you a great hatch! If you have any other questions, just ask!

 

[Mill Chick]

Thanks for all the impute!!!