Ideal Incubation and Lockdown Temperature and Humidity

[AshVal09]

Hi everyone!

So I've incubated and hatched some chicken eggs but lost some in the process. I'm worried that I might have done the temperature and humidity wrong. I've been searching the internet about the ideal temperature and humidity. Some say around 50-60% humidity with 102 degrees for incubation while lockdown is around 65-70% with 99.5 degrees.

I'm really confused as to what is the ideal range to work with for successful chicken hatching. Right now I'm incubating light Brahma eggs at 56% humidity and 100.8 degrees.

Please help!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Do you have a still or fan forced incubator?

 

[AshVal09]

It’s a Janoel 24 and it has a fan so I’m thinking it’s fan forced

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Then you don't need the temperature to be 102. I keep mine at 99.8 if it fluctuates between 99.5 and 100.5 then that's in a safe range. 45 or 50 humidity. Some people don't lower their temperature at lockdown but I try to keep it at 98 degrees and 70 humidity. You'll find a lot of people will be very vocal about their ideas. You need to find what gets you the best hatch in your location with your incubator. Happy hatching!

 

[seminolewind]

My method is to incubate at humidity around 30% or less and temp as close to 100 degrees as possible. The last 3 days use very high humidity. During incubation, once a day move the outer eggs to the center and so on as well as turning the eggs 2-3 times a day. Be as stable as possible with the temps. If need be lay a sheet of bubble wrap over the bator . I've had very high success rate with this. And I also have 3 thermometer sources and average the temp.

 

[seminolewind]

Ash, fans are great-great, but i've felt that rotating the outer eggs to the middle daily makes sure I feel they all get the same treatment heat-wise. There are micro climates in the bator no matter what you do.

 

[AshVal09]

Then you don't need the temperature to be 102. I keep mine at 99.8 if it fluctuates between 99.5 and 100.5 then that's in a safe range. 45 or 50 humidity. Some people don't lower their temperature at lockdown but I try to keep it at 98 degrees and 70 humidity. You'll find a lot of people will be very vocal about their ideas. You need to find what gets you the best hatch in your location with your incubator. Happy hatching!

Thank you all for the advice. Right now I got my humidity at 55% and at 100 degrees so I’m going to stick with that for now and see. The lockdown I think is my most problematic so I’m going to follow your advice and go for 70% and 98 degrees when the time comes

 

[AshVal09]

So far I lost one chick but hatched another that is doing perfectly fine. It's Day 22 and still have two eggs that haven't pipped and I'm a little worried at the moment. I've heard that some chicks can hatch after 25 days or so but not certain.

What do you think?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Can you candle them and see if they are still moving?

 

[AshVal09]

I’m going to do that tonight and see if they are. Hard to do it during the day but praying that they are still alive. The other chick is doing very well at least