Incubating at High Altitudes

During incubation it can be challenging to achieve the ideal humidity and temperature. Under normal conditions, with the help of thermometers and hygrometers, we can adjust and readjust until we have the perfect environment in our incubator. When incubating at high altitudes, however, achieving the right balance is a much more difficult obstacle. Below is more information on how you can handle this issue if you are incubating at high altitudes.

• The Science of High Altitudes & Eggshells

  To understand the challenge, we need to look at the physics of the environment and the biology of the egg. It's a simple chain of cause and effect.

  • Cause: Lower Air Pressure. At high altitudes (like in Colorado or Montana), the atmospheric pressure is lower and there is less oxygen.
  • Effect: Faster Gas Diffusion. As stated on the page 168 of Nests, Birds and Incubators, D.C. Deeming states that “at high altitudes the atmospheric pressure is lower, the partial pressure of oxygen is reduced and gases diffuse faster.” This means that there is a possibility that the developing embryos will loose excessive amounts of weight and will not get the oxygen they need to grow and survive.
  • The Role of the Eggshell: Even though eggshells look solid, they actually have tiny pores all over them, some with almost as many as 20,000. These pores allow air and moisture to pass through. The more pores an eggshell has, naturally, the more air and moisture can pass through the barrier. These pores are what allow the air cell to form and why an egg will lose weight over time

  The High-Altitude Challenge

  The core problem is simple: developing embryos risk losing too much weight (from moisture loss) and not getting enough oxygen to survive. This is why adjusting humidity is not just a suggestion, but a necessity. As you'll see in our Humidity in Incubation article, there is an ideal amount of weight for eggs to lose. Depending on how porous an eggshell is, the humidity level will need to be adjusted to ensure the right amount of weight is lost.

• Sourcing Eggs: Why Local is Best

  The origin of your eggs is one of the most significant factors for success at high altitudes. Here's the science behind why local is always better:

  • Adapted Eggshells: Birds living at high altitudes lay eggs with shell porosity (the number and size of pores) that is perfectly adapted to the local environment. This is nature's way of ensuring a successful hatch.
  • Lower Hatchability for Non-Local Eggs: Eggs brought from sea-level have shells that are not suited for high-altitude conditions, leading to a significant drop in hatch rates.
  • Genetic Adaptation is Key: Flocks adapt genetically over time.

    In an article by E.L. Besch, A.H. Smith and R.R. Burton titled “The Influence of High Altitude on the Hatching of Chicken Eggs,” the authors make the interesting observation that “[in] an altitude adapted strain of white leghorn chickens maintained at 3,810m at the White Mountain Research Station, . . . it has been shown that hatchability progressively increased to about 50% after several generations.”

  The Golden Rule of High-Altitude Sourcing

  For the best possible hatch rate, always use eggs from your own flock that has lived at your altitude for several generations. If not possible, your next best choice is a trusted breeder at the same altitude as you.

• A Proven High-Altitude Method

  On Instagram, @mountainwoodsfarm shared their experience incubating in Colorado with a Brinsea. They shared step by step how they are able to achieve high hatch rates despite the difficulties of the high altitude:

  “I have 98-100% rates on my own eggs or eggs purchased from breeders from higher altitudes. As you know, eggshell pores are bigger at higher altitude due to the lack of humidity. On shipped eggs from lower altitudes, where pores are smaller, my rate sits right about at 95%, which I feel is still excellent! I let any shipped eggs sit pointy side down in cartons in a room that doesn’t get direct sun and stays about 60-63° for 2-3 days before setting. Days 1-10 53% humidity; days 10-18 55% humidity; lockdown 65% humidity. The above works well for me!”

  @mountainwoodsfarm makes a great point about where to gather your eggs from. As noted by Deeming, birds laying eggs at a higher altitude “will have adapted their eggshell porosity to the prevailing conditions,” but that won’t be true for eggs laid at a lower altitude. If possible, collect your own eggs for incubation. Otherwise, always make sure you purchase eggs from breeders that are at your same altitude.

• Ventilation and Humidity: A Delicate Balance

  When incubating at higher altitudes, you must manage a delicate balance. The natural instinct to fix low oxygen can lead to other problems.

  The Ventilation Risk

  It's tempting to increase ventilation to compensate for lower oxygen levels. However, this is a common mistake. High-altitude air is usually colder and drier, and over-ventilating will introduce this harsh air into your incubator, which is harmful to the embryos.

  The Humidity Solution

  To compensate for the dry air and prevent excessive egg weight loss, you must maintain higher levels of humidity inside the incubator. This is the most critical adjustment for a successful high-altitude hatch.

• The Bottom Line for Success

  The bottom line for a successful hatch at high altitudes is using local eggs, weighing them regularly to ensure they are losing the right amount of weight and adjusting incubator humidity accordingly. It is also worth noting that incubation times at high altitudes are extended by approximately a day.

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Need Help? Contact Us

If you are interested in learning more you can get more Incubation Advice from Brinsea, The Incubation Specialists. Feel free to reach out to us by phone at (888) 667-7009 or on Facebook or Instagram. Happy hatching!