Dry incubation humidity question

[debilorrah]

Quote:
How on earth will I get a straw to the corners of the incubator? I guess I will figure it out. I live in the east coast so we are not dry. We have a lot of humidity in the summer. Sadly it is not summer now and one day it will be 70 out and the next it will snow. I will try to keep it as close to 70% as possible. I still have a couple weeks yet.

Thanks so much. Its raining here and my meter has jumped to 45%

So often people tell me that the climate I live in is not a factor. I challenge them to come here and get my bator to 65% and get it to stay there.

 

[spiritdance]

Quote:
No, it won't, not if the air cell is already big enough in the egg! If you ran that humidity before lockdown, the air cell wouldn't get big enough and the chick would drown when it tried to pip internally, but once it is formed the higher humidity keeps the membrane from drying too fast and shrink wrapping the chick.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
Now see that is what the OP needed. I believe they are using an LG and they don't seal up as well as some others! Good info for the OP.

The seal does suck really bad in the LG incubator, and it gets even worse with ware. So I have worked around it, a lot of the heat and humidity is lost out the gaps, keeping it at 70% may not exactly mean it is 70% for the eggs but could actually be lower, even for the heat but the thermometer and hygrometer are going to read it as what hits it first not what is around the seals. Maybe someone should do a study

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
No, it won't, not if the air cell is already big enough in the egg! If you ran that humidity before lockdown, the air cell wouldn't get big enough and the chick would drown when it tried to pip internally, but once it is formed the higher humidity keeps the membrane from drying too fast and shrink wrapping the chick.

With incubating there is no right or wrong. It is what works best for each individual and that is what I am conveying here. If I hatch at 70% my chicks drown. That is not a guess, it is fact and I have seen the bodies to prove it. FOR ME. That is what makes this forum so wonderful. Everyone can post their experiences and the newbies can figure out what is best for them, with their bator, in their climate.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Now see that is what the OP needed. I believe they are using an LG and they don't seal up as well as some others! Good info for the OP.

The seal does suck really bad in the LG incubator, and it gets even worse with ware. So I have worked around it, a lot of the heat and humidity is lost out the gaps, keeping it at 70% may not exactly mean it is 70% for the eggs but could actually be lower, even for the heat but the thermometer and hygrometer are going to read it as what hits it first not what is around the seals. Maybe someone should do a study

I think there is an LG hatch a long thread here. I bet you could find good information for work arounds there.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
The seal does suck really bad in the LG incubator, and it gets even worse with ware. So I have worked around it, a lot of the heat and humidity is lost out the gaps, keeping it at 70% may not exactly mean it is 70% for the eggs but could actually be lower, even for the heat but the thermometer and hygrometer are going to read it as what hits it first not what is around the seals. Maybe someone should do a study

I think there is an LG hatch a long thread here. I bet you could find good information for work arounds there.

I have been on there a while now. Its a fun place to talk about the hatches...everyone is finding what works best.
The LG incubator can be tricky till you can either fix it or work around it. It is the cheapest way to hatch I now own 4 of them and I love it.

 

[spiritdance]

Here's a technique for maintaining humidity that has worked for me. Get 4 large baby food jars (or jars of equivalent size with metal tops) and 4 cotton handkerchiefs. Role the cotton handkerchiefs into 4 "wicks" and cut a hole in the jar lids just big enough to pull the wicks through, but snug enough to keep them from slipping all the way down in the jar. Fill the jars about 1/2 to 2/3 full of warm water, stick in the wicks and screw on the lids. Put a jar in each corner of the bator. The wicks will slowly release moisture into the air. Just for comparison, my bator is made from a 24 qt cooler and 4 jars keep the humidity up to 70% for me all the way through lockdown. Naturally, if your bator is bigger, you might need to add a jar or two. If it's smaller, use one or two less.

I used to have a pvc pipe rigged so I could add water through it into a basin, but I found that adding water would cause the humidity to spike and the temp to fluctuate. That doesn't happen with the jar/wick humidifiers.

A friend of mine suggested I buy a pack of tiki torch wicks and try them, since they are designed for wicking fluids. I may try this on my next hatch.

 

[debilorrah]

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I have heard that one before. Unfortunately I have a small bator so they don't fit. Neither do emu eggs.

 

[CCourson05]

I completely neglect humidity until day 18. Then, I focus on it. I am sitting at about 48%...MS is pretty humid by nature

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Great thought! I am using small jar heat sinks anyway so it would be simple to add wicks.