How To Raise Humidity During Incubation For Chickens

When hatching chicken eggs, you'll use one of two kinds of incubators and you'll need to maintain proper incubation conditions. Keeping a steady humidity level increases the chances that the eggs will hatch by day 21, because the purpose of incubation is to recreate the natural environment (underneath the hen).

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Forced-air or still-air incubator
• Thermometer
• Hygrometer (wet-bulb thermometer)

How to Raise Humidity During Incubation for Chickens

1. Check the temperature so you know your starting point. In a forced-air incubator the temperature should be 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while a still-air incubator should be 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Use a hygrometer to measure the humidity. From day one to 18, the humidity should be between 58 and 60 percent. However, it should be increased to 65 percent from day 18 to 21.

3. Put a bowl of water or wet sponges inside the incubator to increase the humidity. The humidity is the percent of water in the air, so if you want to raise the humidity, you need more water in the air.

4. Restrict air ventilation in the incubator to keep the moisture in the incubator, until the chicks begin to hatch. Also, keeping the incubator door closed as much as possible helps maintain the environment.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase an incubator with a window, so you can read the thermometers without having to open the door. Ensure that your thermometers are properly calibrated by comparing their reading to others. Try to hatch eggs during the warmer season, because if it's cold outside, it will be more difficult to increase the humidity inside the incubator.
• The temperature and humidity inside the incubator will determine whether the eggs will hatch and when. If conditions aren't right, the chicks will hatch late or not at all.

Resources

• Hatching Chicken Eggs Using Incubators
• Hygrometer