What should the humity be?

[k&c poultry]

I have the LG still air and I was wondering what the humity should be I went out to
Walmart and got a duo that reads temp and humity. I put it in the bator and it's at about 46 right now. What should it be from day 1 to 18? And what should it be when you go into lockdown?

 

[LilMissPetie]

I have the same incubator, I never added water and left out both plugs up until day 18. My humidity was usually in the 30 % range up until lockdown. Then you should increase it to 55% and then at first pip increase it to 65% or more. Good Luck

I did use the dry method, and won't ever try any other way. My hatch rates were GREAT. 7/8 for the first, 4/4 for the second, 8/8 for the third, and 19/20 for the last one which just hatched on the 4th of July.

 

[Alexander]

40-45% the first 18 days and 70% the last 3 days.

Many people dry incubate the first 18 days at 28-30%.

 

[k&c poultry]

So is it better to dry incubate and stay around thirty or just do the 45%??

 

[Alexander]

I would suggest not to dry incubate.

 

[cashdl]

It is completely up to you. I dry incubate, and find that my hatch rate is better since I have done that. I also find it is easier to incubate because I don't have to add water ever. I dry incubate at 25% which is what my LG still air holds at for my area. I also use an LG still air to hatch, so when I move the eggs over to the hatcher on day 18 I put water in the hatcher and raise the humidity to 45% for hatch.

I would consider whatever natural humidity your area has, to be dry incubation. Then raise then raise the humidity up 20% for hatch. So if your incubator naturally sets at 45% with a teaspoon of water, incubate at that, then on day 18 raise it to 65% for hatching and so on depending on what your normal humidity is.


Lanae

 

[Alexander]

Quote:
That explains it better.

I am forced to dry incubate because the humidity will just not go over 30%

I am worried about lockdown.

Will they hatch if the humidity is 45% ?

 

[k&c poultry]

Thanks a lot I'm trying to drop it now it was little high so I took out one plug for a little I hope that helps

 

[cashdl]

Humidity increases with more surface area of water you have. If you are trying to increase humidity, add a wet sponge or a flat dish of water.

Lanae

 

[Arielle]

Great thread--just the info I'm looking for too. THe instruction manual for the LG does not list anything about the %RH--nothing. I called customer service this morning. The explanation was that areas of the country differ so the manual is written to cover all areas generically. But they did include a temperature for each bird species.

This is what I understand so far:

The eggs need to lose enough moisture that the cell is large enough for the chick to break thru the inner membrane and "breathe" in the large end of the egg which has a special construction for more air exchange. The chick also needs to be kept small enough that it can move around inside the egg to do the pipping.

Moisture needs to be upped so that when the eggs are pipped, the membranes do not dry to the point of shrink wrapping the chick before it can hatch.

Both moisture levels work together; the first 18 days sets up for the last 3 days.

Only one person listed their hatching rates along with the %RH. That's the proof that the %RH works.

The customer service woman at the LG manufacturer (Miller) repeatedly said that the LG is for the hobbist. Like that statement covers any short comings of the incubator.

Yes. I'm frustrated. Sorry.