Another Emergency Question on Humidity, help ASAP PLEASE

justjennifer

In the Brooder
7 Years
May 4, 2012
15
0
22
South Eastern Kentucky
I am not sure if my humidity monitor is functioning correctly. It says humidity is 75% but I don't know. My incubator is a HovaBator 1588 with fan and preset temps. My thermometer in the corner says 101, but one in middle says 99. I have the eggs inbetween and where it is a steady 100. Should I see condensation on the windows? I don't see any. But it seems like when I have hatched before there was condensation on the windows but it was a still air model. I have not hatched and in 4 years so I have forgotten everything. I have 5 pipped. But they are barely making slow progress. One has been piped for over 12 hours, one for at least 8, but the only progress is the very first little triangle shaped pip (not even broken through the white layer). Is my humidity low? How can I tell if my humidity is wrong if my hygrometer is not working?

Thanks, Jennifer
(sorry if this sounds jumbled, I am a little panicky here)
 
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Jennifer,

Sorry nobody is responding. I can't say for sure what you should do. I don't really work with exact numbers. I go by low and high humidity. For the first 18 days I want the humidity low and then high for the last 3 days. To me the last 3 days are the most important. All I do is add wet paper towels to my LG incubator on day 18 lockdown. I then keep them wet by adding warm water onto them through one of the vent holes. How high is the humidity? I have no idea, but you know it has to be really damp in there. This works for me.
 
Ok, First I want to clarify that I have only completed once hatch but did have decent results
about 10 for 13.

Also others with lots more experience will give you way different advice.


I would find a hole and get some water in your wells to increase the humidity some. there are whole threads here for checking your hygrometer but your in the middle of a hatch and you don't want to open the bator very often. I did have some condensation on mine. I had a cheap incubator from Little Giant but did have the auto turner and fan with it.

My chicks had trouble hatching and I assisted two after they external pipped but made no progress. There are threads for that and it isn't for the faint of heart. slow and patience is required. My only regret was I didn't help the last one cause I could here cheeping and they said it would be fine. It wasn't.

Most people do a hands off approach but a little more humidity seems in order.
 
Thanks, I kind of noticed that alot don't reply to new members questions. Or at least thats how it seems. It could be unintentional though. I have no idea what the humidity is. The monitor says 75 but I am not sure it is working properly. I am just worried because of the little progress these chicks are making after pip. Do you notice condensation or a little fog on the windows when you and the paper towels? I have not hatched any in years so I don't remember exactly. Plus, I had better humidity monitors then. Thanks for your reply.

Jennifer
 
I don't see any fog, or water droplets on the windows. I was wondering if that is a sign of the right humidity. I can always add sponges if I knew for sure. Thanks, I am going to be watching and trying to see if the peeps still sound good and strong.

Jennifer
 
my hovabator doesn't always have droplets on the window sometimes yes sometimes no I wouldnt worry about it. I know you are worried but dont assume the lack of answer in less then 2 hours is because you are being stubbed as a newbie! I can assure you it is not.
 
I only saw fog on my LG windows when the humidity was really really high. The entire bottom of my incubator was layered with paper towels and I kept them constantly wet. Now don't take that to mean it never got dry because it did when i wasn't around for a few hours, but if I came back and saw any of it dry I added more warm water. I should also mention that I am only on my second hatch. So what I am telling you is what worked for me on my first hatch. I set 24 eggs and hatched 13. One was not fertile and the remainder that did not hatch just out right quit. No pip....nothing!

Don't give up hop on the BYC community. I don't think people around here snub you if you are new (like I have seen on some of the motorcycle forums I am on). If anything we are very eager to help and I thknk if you give it time you will see that too. Good luck on your hatch. Don't fret about it too much, hens don't have hygrometers either.
 
Well also I think people are shy about answering incubator questions. One there are many ways to run your incubator that is a personal choice. I tried the low humidity / high for last 3 days method. Second if they 'mess' up you lose chicks and nobody wants that. Three the experts mostly run large cabinet incubators so the rest of us are just inexperienced and don't know that what we have to offer is helpful or won't get slammed by the very next poster.

I didn't describe the helping method because most don't use it and I found it on here and it is very detailed on how to 'help' if you choose to help.

The waiting is the hardest part. Hope all goes well for you.
 
I don't keep track of the humidity in my LG, I only use it for hatching not incubating in. I do a pretty much dry hatch (humidity normally stays 30-40% with all the rain we have had this spring), then I up the humidity in the hatchers until I have fog or droplets on the windows of the LG. I would say if you can sneak some water in there without opening it then go for it. I worry the same as you do, right now I have 18 guinea eggs in the LG and worry since I am at work the humidity will go down to far.
 

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