In your experience, what's better, higher humidity or lower humidity?

[Debbienmousey]

I agree with Featherfoot, I think humidity needs are a little different for everybody. (Differences in location and humidity in the area outside of the incubator)

Our first hatch of chicks we didn't even measure the humidity. We were so newbies we just stuck in 42 eggs, and had 28 hatch. That was plenty for us, and I was happy. Lately we've only been hatching guineas, and I have been keeping the humidity high during the first 24 days, 70%+, and raising it to 100%+ during hatch. We've been getting around 50% hatch, with at least 35% (I'm guessing) developed keets but not hatched. With this batch (22 guinea and 6 chicken) I'm trying to keep the humidity 50-60% during the first 18 days. I plan to raise the humidity to..at least 75% I guess when the chicks are supposed to hatch. (The chicks are going to pip about 4 days before the guineas) I believe I've been accidentally 'drowning' some of my keets. I hope to get a better hatch rate this time. If I don't, I'm going to try keeping the humidity even lower. We'll see what works.

 

[jvls1942]

I do not understand how hum% needs depend on the room's hum% or the hum% outside ??

I would think the hum% inside the bator is all that matters..

if the outside hum% is 70% and the hum% inside the bator is 45%
what would be the problem ? see what I mean??

 

[McGoo]

I'm not a good hatcher, but I've been told 50% humidity 1 - 18 and 75% last 3 days. Staying high the last 3 days helps the chicks so they don't have trouble hatching out... keeps the membrane moist and easier to work through.

All the best

 

[speckledhen]

The humidity inside the bator is all that matters, however, if it's very humid in the room, then it's easier to keep humidity up without adding much water, if any. If the room is very dry, it makes it harder to keep the humidity in the bator up, since the air inlets are pulling the room air into the bator constantly.


The first hatch I did, I made a game of seeing how close to 50% I could keep it without going over. Had a great hatch. In subsequent hatches, I just made sure it was between about 40 and 50%, but it sometimes went down to 30%. Had a good hatch then, too. The temp is more important than the humidity, overall, since humidity can vary and still hatch chicks just fine. Better a bit low than too high.

The last three days, I do 65-70%.


Scott, I know that the problem with the Dels you had was because most of them were Phoebe's pullet eggs. Anytime you want more, you got 'em. Now, they are all laying and Kullas has eggs from each girl, so his should do well.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Thanks Cyn!

I wasn't even counting that Del hatch to be honest. I had a HORRIBLE hatch of Polish....1 out of 13 (those were shipped eggs) and a HORRIBLE hatch of Speckled Sussex, 2 out of 15 (those I picked up).

Just trrying to determine if there is something I have been doing wrong. I have 2 digital thero/hygrom in each bator and they seem to read within a point of each other. Temps have been great so I was wondering if my humidity had been the culprit. Could be just plain old bad luck....so many of my hatches before have been soooo good.

Thanks again

 

[Barred Rocker]

I tend to be more picky with the temp than the humidity. I think the first 18 days as long as you maintain a moderate humidity level somewhere between 35 to 50 % then you should have an adequate air pocket for your chick. I bump mine up to 70% the last 3 days and that seems to work ok. I've heard many times on byc threads that a lot depends on where you live but I still can't really wrap my mind around that because to me it would seem that whatever your humidity level is inside the bator is what it is regardless of where you live, it's like its own little biosphere. I'm still learning so I may be wrong but anyway to make a long story short I go 45 - 50% the first 18 days and 70% the last 3.

 

[Kullas]

The last hatch i did after thinking about it i dont think it was the humidity i think in my case it was the temp. i made a water wiggler and put the probes in the wiggler and found that in the still air bator the reading was 94 degrees (i havent moved the setting from last hatch) so i bumped the temp up and i will see what happens

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Best of luck...those Delawares are the most friendly, unique personalitied chickens I have. If I were to EVER get out of chickens (NOT)....we would have to keep Pepper (the del roo) and Lil Bit (the hen) just as pets....they are sooooo much fun.

 

[bigredfeather]

I have had great luck with 58%-60% 1-18, and as close to 65% as I can get the last 3 days. I was running lower humidity when I first started hatching. Since I have raised it, I have had much higher hatch rate. Last hatch was 90% with shipped eggs. The three that didn't hatch pipped, but never made it out.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
I agree about the "biosphere" anology.. that is what I was trying to get to in my previous post.. You said it so much better..