Celadon eggs just went into our incubator! 1st hatch.

[Nabiki]

Any tips on getting and keeping the humidity at 30? We have a small sponge in there that is damp and it's staying around 50. Just a smaller sponge?

Try not putting anything in at all. If that brings the humidity too low, you can get a small jar (baby food or something) and cover the top partway with foil until you get the right humidity. The deeper the jar, the less often you have to refill it. It's the surface area that determines humidity.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

Try not putting anything in at all. If that brings the humidity too low, you can get a small jar (baby food or something) and cover the top partway with foil until you get the right humidity. The deeper the jar, the less often you have to refill it. It's the surface area that determines humidity.

Thank you. I don't think a baby food jar will fit in our small incubator, but that information does help. How low in humidity is too low? Below 30?

 

[als77]

A shelf liner would probably be better than paper towel for lockdown. I managed to block most of the air-flow in my incubator during lock-down

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

A shelf liner would probably be better than paper towel for lockdown. I managed to block most of the air-flow in my incubator during lock-down

Thank you!

 

[Nabiki]

Thank you. I don't think a baby food jar will fit in our small incubator, but that information does help. How low in humidity is too low? Below 30?

I would consider 20% to be too low. Maybe you can get something like a short test tube?
Something like these, maybe?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVY5L5M/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_102?psc=1&uh_it=5b1c9d1e12dc6e20e041329342b5f359_CT&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFWMTNPNDY3MUlaMEMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNzA3NzUyUEVHR1IwQkdGMUZCJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MDY2NDExRjRRMVdBNU9QRE5VJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c2Rfb25zaXRlX2Rlc2t0b3AmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

I would consider 20% to be too low. Maybe you can get something like a short test tube?
Something like these, maybe?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVY5L5M/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_102?psc=1&uh_it=5b1c9d1e12dc6e20e041329342b5f359_CT&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFWMTNPNDY3MUlaMEMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNzA3NzUyUEVHR1IwQkdGMUZCJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MDY2NDExRjRRMVdBNU9QRE5VJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c2Rfb25zaXRlX2Rlc2t0b3AmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

We used the cap to a spray bottle cap filled with water and we've been able to hold the humidity between 30-36%. I have to refill it every 12 hours but it's working. The temperature is holding steady.
When we try to candle them (I was told we could try at day 5 and again at day 13/14 before lockdown) do we just quickly take out one egg at a time so they don't get cold? Then candle quickly and put back?

 

[Nabiki]

We used the cap to a spray bottle cap filled with water and we've been able to hold the humidity between 30-36%. I have to refill it every 12 hours but it's working. The temperature is holding steady.
When we try to candle them (I was told we could try at day 5 and again at day 13/14 before lockdown) do we just quickly take out one egg at a time so they don't get cold? Then candle quickly and put back?

That's usually how I do it. I also don't candle them all at once. With 30 eggs, I'd probably candle 10 a day, but there's no harm in candling all 30 of them. They can handle cooling off for a bit without any harm.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

Thank you. How often do you candle generally?

That's usually how I do it. I also don't candle them all at once. With 30 eggs, I'd probably candle 10 a day, but there's no harm in candling all 30 of them. They can handle cooling off for a bit without any harm.

 

[cmom]

Any tips on getting and keeping the humidity at 30? We have a small sponge in there that is damp and it's staying around 50. Just a smaller sponge?

Take the sponge out. The eggs will loose some moisture during incubation.

 

[cmom]

My best hatches are when I incubate around 35% humidity. If it's a little higher it's ok and if it's a little lower that's ok.