DUCK INCUBATOR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY HOW TO

If you set your eggs with the pointy side down, you will notice an airspace at the top rounded part of the egg when you candle it. The amount of water that an egg loses during incubation is important and is determined by the humidity levels in the incubator. Thinner shells require higher humidity.)Įgg shells are porous and they allow water to pass through. Many factors affect humidity such as : Egg size (the smaller the egg, the greater the moisture loss.), Porous shell (which increases with a hen’s age), elevation, egg storage length and conditions, weather, incubation temperature, air speed and shell thickness (which decreases with hen’s age. Then for future hatches you can tweak the numbers and make minor adjustments for what works best for you. Start by following the manufacturers recommendations for humidity and temperature for your individual incubator. In general, slightly lower humidity is better than too high of humidity during incubation. Most people (unless they practice dry incubation) shoot for 40-50% for the first 18 days of incubation and then raise it to 65-75% for the final three days of hatching. If the Relative Humidity level is 50% that means that the air contains half of its maximum possible water vapor capacity. It is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air compared with the maximum that could be absorbed at that temperature. When talking about humidity in the incubator we are usually discussing the Relative Humidity. This full maximum can increase as the temperature rises. Water vapor in the air can range from none to the full maximum which air can hold.

DUCK INCUBATOR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY HOW TO

This can leave some people scratching their heads at just how to accomplish this feat.Īir can absorb water.

Humidity starts out at one percentage but then needs to be raised at just the right point in order for a successful hatch. Too much of it or too little of it can ruin your hatch rate. Humidity in the incubator has always been a tricky thing.

Duck incubator temperature and humidity