Official BYC Poll: What humidity do you use in incubation (first 18 days)?

[BYC Project Manager]

Humidity inside the incubator controls the moisture loss inside the egg. Almost every bird egg needs to lose a certain percentage of weight/moisture for the bird to develop properly and hatch. This is accomplished through pores in the eggshell. Humidity affects how quickly this moisture evaporates through those pores.

Humidity too low can cause too much moisture loss, the air cells may get too large, the chick can get crowded, and can have a difficult time hatching. If humidity is too high, and not enough moisture is lost, then the air cells can’t grow enough, and chicks can drown; or chicks can grow too large to be able to maneuver and hatch, or there isn’t enough air in the cell for the chick to use to complete its cycle and emerge.

It’s not really rocket science for incubation purposes, and there is some flexibility, but too much to one extreme will usually cause problems. So this week we would like to know: What humidity do you use in incubation (first 18 days)?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

Further Reading:

The Beginner's Guide to Incubation
Incubation Cheat Sheet
Incubation Humidity

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[PippinTheChicken]

For the first 18 days I use around 47%
For lockdown I use 60%

 

[jher77]

You should have another part in the vote for lockdown humidity along with the first 18 days since they are usually different.

And a calibrated hygrometer is a must.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

This poll means for the first 18 days

 

[MysteryChicken]

The first days before lockdown I use 35% - 45% humidity.

Lockdown I use 55% - 65% humidity.

 

[Ebony Rose]

If I have a volunteer (broody hen), then whatever she deems suitable.
If I am not so lucky as to have a volunteer for the job, then I dry incubate. I do not add water or encourage humidity in any way. The only exception to encouraging humidity is if I am forced to assist a hatching chick, and then I don't add water, instead I opt for a bit of sunflower oil on the exposed membrane of the chick's egg to keep it from dehydrating.
I live in the tropics and have very high humidity every day of the year, both day and night. Our annual average ambient humidity is 76%, with October being the most humid in the lower 80s and March the least humid in the lower 60s. I learned the painful lesson of 'too much humidity' the hard way, with failed hatches of chicks that drowned in their shell.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

In western Washington it’s naturally wet and humid. I don’t add water to the incubator at all. Moisture builds once they start to hatch, which brings humidity up to about 60% to 70% on day 20ish.

 

[KingD]

45 - 50% for the majority and up to 60% for lockdown.
I'm still experimenting so will be interesting to hear people's opinions on the subject.

 

[Kennas_Kritters]

My incubator (NR360°)always has 50% humidity and 99.5 temp up until day 18. I then bump the humidity to 60%. I have had great hatch rates!

 

[Chicks in VA]

i just use 50 to 60 % humidity for the whole time and it works just fine