Incubator humidity

[fishin_dad]

My eggs are on day 7 and when I checked the incubator yesterday morning the humidity was at 45%. There was still some water in the channel but it wasn't much. I added water and 30 minutes later it was at 63%. I have been keeping the humidity between 50 and 60 but this is my first hatch with the new incubator. How detrimental is the humidity this early in? What is the recommended humidity level?
I have heard so many different thoughts about humidity throughout incubation but have seen nothing about when humidity becomes critical. Thanks for any advice.

 

[MGG]

My eggs are on day 7 and when I checked the incubator yesterday morning the humidity was at 45%. There was still some water in the channel but it wasn't much. I added water and 30 minutes later it was at 63%. I have been keeping the humidity between 50 and 60 but this is my first hatch with the new incubator. How detrimental is the humidity this early in? What is the recommended humidity level?
I have heard so many different thoughts about humidity throughout incubation but have seen nothing about when humidity becomes critical. Thanks for any advice.

It varies the first 18 days. For chickens I like to keep it at 35-45%. It depends on your location, the eggs, the elevation, placement of incubator, etc. You have to find out what works for you. I have good luck with 35-45%. Then I put it at 65-75% for lockdown. (Which is the 18th day, when you stop turning and raise humidity)

 

[fishin_dad]

It varies the first 18 days. For chickens I like to keep it at 35-45%. It depends on your location, the eggs, the elevation, placement of incubator, etc. You have to find out what works for you. I have good luck with 35-45%. Then I put it at 65-75% for lockdown. (Which is the 18th day, when you stop turning and raise humidity)

How would high humidity effect the eggs in the first 7 days?

 

[Cluck0FF]

How would high humidity effect the eggs in the first 7 days?

The level of humidity in the incubator simply controls the rate of moisture loss within the egg. The higger the humidity, the slower the rate of moisture loss in the egg. The lower the humidity, the faster rate of moisture loss in the egg.

We need enough moisture to leave the egg over the incubation period until hatch to alow the air sac to grow big enough, but not too big for the baby chick to pip and breathe. If the air sac is too small (humidity too high) the chick cannot sufficiently breathe. If its too large, (humidity too low) the chick can be squashed and shrink wrapped struggling to hatch unassisted.

This is why we candle prior to incubation, and several times throughout incubation to track the rate of growth of the air sac and adjust humidity accordingly.

So if we candle at day 7, and the air sac hasn't grown, we need to slightly reduce humidity. Or vice versa.

So to answer your question. Humidity is very important, but you can rectify bad humidity early on by candling and pencilling the air sac.