Button Quail Eggs: Humidity Issues

[cuckleberry]

Hello!

I am trying my luck at incubating button quail eggs again. I bought the same model I had, a Janoel 12 incubator.

I started incubating the eggs in the afternoon on Dec. 9. Today marks day 3 into day 4 for them. I know candling isn't going to show me much at this time so I am waiting til later. (Day 10 maybe?)

For some reason I have been running into an issue with keeping a steady humidity. The temperature is fine, between 99-100° F. No issues there. As for the humidity, it has spiked several times in the last few days.

Day 1: Fine, a little high but it regulated itself. Started at 60, went down to 55.

Day 2: I noticed the humidity the next morning was down to 38. I saw the small bit of water I had in the bottom of the Bator was dried up so I added a little more and it went back up to 65, and slowly back into 55.

Day 3: The humidity was at 50 when I went to work. Seemed fine, so I didn't think much of it. 9 hours later, it was down to 25. I again quickly added a bit of water, and this time cut up a small sponge into 4 pieces and put them on the bottom tray to help keep things steady.
This morning, again, the humidity was still down into 25. (Slept for 8 hours, so in that time it went from 60-25)

I checked everything, took one of the sponge pieces out, and only now noticed that the lid isn't fully closing on the left side of the incubator.
It was hardly noticable but nevertheless it's on me, and I feel dumb getting panicked over this. It seems like the plastic is a bit warped and that must've been how it came. I have both a hydrometer in the incubator, and I am checking the temperature with an infrared to make sure it isn't spiking. The bator itself isn't running too hot, so I guess I got a messed up model?
I put a towel around the side that's warped in hopes it'll help. (Not blocking the small vent at the top)

I hope that these fluctuations in humidity haven't spoiled this batch. I have 5 eggs in there now, since the others got broken in transit.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

My infrared thermometer is way off... do you have another thermometer to test it out?

 

[cuckleberry]

My infrared thermometer is way off... do you have another thermometer to test it out?

It's the only one I have, unfortunately. The temperature that reads off the hydrometer is off by a few degrees, so it's why I started to check with the infrared. It seems to be pretty accurate. (at least so far) It reads between 98.5-100.5° depending on where I aim it within the incubator.

 

[Canina]

It's the only one I have, unfortunately. The temperature that reads off the hydrometer is off by a few degrees, so it's why I started to check with the infrared. It seems to be pretty accurate. (at least so far) It reads between 98.5-100.5° depending on where I aim it within the incubator.

I’m in the same boat as you only I’m doing a dryish hatch at 40% and going to go to 65-75% at lockdown. Like you I set on the same day have a hygrometer-thermometer that’s always just a tiny bit out and an infra-red thermometer. I always take multiple readings and use the average; I do also have a meat thermometer as another backup. I always keep an eye on the temps relative to each other and the reading from my thermostat temp probe even if they don’t read exactly the same. I am admittedly making a rod for my own back using a vivarium rather than an incubator but if I manage to maintain the balance (and my partner doesn’t slip up whilst I’m away for two days half way through) I could be successful again.