Ok another humidity discussion

kizanne

Songster
8 Years
Mar 28, 2011
1,174
62
161
Tallahassee, FL
I've been reading here and I see many seem to keep their humidity around 35% until lockdown.

I read the instructions under the sticky it just says read your incubator directions, mine the LG doesn't have any humidity instructions other than fill the water pans.
Found another BYC that says 50%

I found from the university of Minnesota they recommend 50 to 55% before hatching and 65% during lockdown.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/di0631.html

The university of California say 60% and raise to 70% for lockdown.
animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/pfs35.pdf

Can anyone tell me what they use and why? Do you have any references? Does anyone know what the hatcheries use?
I'm currently at 57% but it is only day 2 so I can adjust as needed but would like some more info on the what and the why.

Thanks any info for this nervous momma is appreciated.

Edited to add new info found
 
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I have the Hovabators and live on the East Coast and had trouble losing chicks right at hatch, my hatch rate was probably less than 50%. There was a dry incubation method listed on BYC, so I switched and my hatch% went WAY up, with one batch having all eggs hatching that didn't quit before day 10(100%!!!). Best wishes on a great hatch, maybe the LGs are better with the humidity, I'm not sure.
 
Thank you I'm researching the dry method now. It makes more sense now the different numbers I'm seeing when there are two methods.

anyone else?
 
Humidity does not matter as much as temperature!

Imagine a hen sitting on eggs in the humidity of Florida and another hen sitting on eggs in the lack of humidity in Arizona.
Both hens give off a certain amount of humidity with their bodies, but the general humidity in the air varies greatly. The only constant is the hens' body temperature.

So you can have a high humidity or a low humidity and still get a great hatch as long as you keep the temperature at the right levels.


smile.png
 
Yes I have the temp right at 99.5 and 100. I noticed everyone agreed on that.

I'm currently working on making an well informed humidity decision.
 
I used to keep my humidity the same, 65%, throughout the hatch, & several didn't fully form & hatch. I learned to keep it about 40%, & then raise it to about 65% during lockdown. My hatches improved drastically. I think I was drowning them in the shell with the humidity too high.
 
I have found that high humidity is probably the most common reason that chicks will develop to hatch date, and then die. Lower is always better.
 

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