Dry Incubation High Resting Humidity Percentage

[shaneensmith]

Hello everyone, I am wanting to do a Dry Incubation Method this time around.
* Dry Incubation HIGH RESTING HUMIDITY Percentage *

My incubators have been plugged in for 72 hours, dry, no water:
> Temp holds steady at 99.1 to 99.5 on both incubators.
> Humidity holds steady at 48% on both incubators with NO water inside channels.
> Environmental Outside my house is 53%.
> * I do not know my inside house humidity yet (waiting on my hygrometers from amazon).

> Vents are out > no water in incubators > in a main area of my house, not much temperature fluctuations.

FIRST > I was told my humidity should be 30 to 35% from day 1 to day 18.

SECOND > I read in a forum post on this website, Someone said a "dry incubation" is just that, just simply do not add any water at all (days 1 thru to day 17), and that it does not matter what the humidity is reading, just so long as there is NO water in any channels for the day 1 to 17 period.
. . . then, ON DAY 18 then add water and get it up to 65% (ok so that's easy enough)! I can handle that part.

SO SHOULD I . . .
A : Do everything in my power to lower the humidity in my house?
OR
B : Leave the incubator dry, dry, dry and don't worry about the 48% humidity reading?

Not sure if this matters but, we live in Quesnel, BC

 

[Lulu-Dixon]

@shaneensmith My opinion is B. Incubating takes testing and time to get right for each person due to many outside factors. Stick with dry and leave it that way until lockdown then slowly add little amounts of water over a day or two for a gradual increase. Open your vents, set your temp (mine stays at 99.5-100°) and leave them alone as much as possible until then. You could perhaps adjust your house heater to run more often to lower your inside humidity a bit.
If you have a poor hatch rate, you will know to make slight adjustments next time. If it's good, then you know what works for your home and setup. Best of luck to you!

 

[Smileybans]

I don’t know too much about the humidity in your house, since my house is always so dry, but I leave my incubators dry. When I candle I check that the air cell is on track with how far along the chick should be. Checking the chicks air cell will tell you how much more or less humidity you need. I usually add water if the humidity dips below 15% but it rarely does. I think at 48%, if your house humidity isn’t crazy high, you should just be able to leave the incubator dry.

I have my incubators in their own separate room where I can control the humidity easily. Maybe moving the incubators to their own room would help. If you wanted to lower the humidity in your house that is. Lowering it in a single room is easier than a whole house.

 

[shaneensmith]

oh dear. I do not have a room on it's own. The room I would have used is occupied by a guest. I really hope the incubator dry at 48% is ok. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Kiki]

You cannot trust what the incubator itself is reading.
Wait until you get the humidity gauge that you ordered, salt test it over night then put it in your bator.

 

[shaneensmith]

You cannot trust what the incubator itself is reading.
Wait until you get the humidity gauge that you ordered, salt test it over night then put it in your bator.

Salt test? Please clarify. Thank you so much!

 

[Kiki]

oh dear. I do not have a room on it's own. The room I would have used is occupied by a guest. I really hope the incubator dry at 48% is ok. Thank you for your advice.

I'm not sure where you're located but I'm in Houston Texas where it is always extremely humid.
I do not add water in my incubator and it does not run at 48%. It gets way lower than that so I'm going to guess that your incubator humidity gauge is off... So please don't trust it.

 

[Kiki]

Salt test? Please clarify. Thank you so much!

https://www.neptunecigar.com/tips/how-to-calibrate-your-hygrometer


https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/

 

[shaneensmith]

I'm not sure where you're located but I'm in Houston Texas where it is always extremely humid.
I do not add water in my incubator and it does not run at 48%. It gets way lower than that so I'm going to guess that your incubator humidity gauge is off... So please don't trust it.

I am in Quesnel, BC CANADA.

It is so so strange because BOTH incubators are reading the exact same. LOL! they are side by side in the same room etc. and they are the exact same incubator as well. HA!

 

[Kiki]

I am in Quesnel, BC CANADA.

It is so so strange because BOTH incubators are reading the exact same. LOL! they are side by side in the same room etc. and they are the exact same incubator as well. HA!

Number one rule...
Do not trust built in thermometers or humidity gauges.

Always buy separate ones and calibrate (thermometer) then and salt test (humidity gauge).