First time hatching quail due 9/17/18

[007Sean]

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I set 33 eggs tonight. Watching the humidity to see that it comes back up to 40% before bed.

IM did you perform the salt test calibration on your hygrometer?

 

[igorsMistress]

@007Sean
Uh, no. I dunno how to do that It's a digital that measures temp and humidity.

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm calibrating now. Left the other one in the incubator. Didn't know I needed to do that, thanks Sean! You might have just saved my chicks

 

[007Sean]

@007Sean
Uh, no. I dunno how to do that It's a digital that measures temp and humidity.

Yep, you'll need a 1gal zip lock bag, a medicine bottle cap and salt.
Fill the bottle cap level with salt. Add water, dropwise to the salt until just moist, do not make it dissolve the salt. Place the hygrometer and the bottle cap in the zip lock bag, close the bag so there's no leaks. Let the hygromeyer stablize for at least 8 hours, 24 hours is better. After the allotted time take a reading. Should read 75%Rh . If it reads higher than 75%, subtract that amount from what the hygrometer reads in the bator, if It's lower than 75% add that % difference to the read out.
Example: hygrometer reads 78%
78 - 75 = 3 ÷ 75 = 0.04 × 100 = 4% diff
Subtract 4% from your reading in the bator.

Hygrometer reads: 69%
69 - 75 = -6 ÷ 75 = -0.08 × 100 = -8% diff
Add 8% to the reading in the bator.

Hygrometer should be calibrated each time before setting a new batch of eggs, to get an accurate reading of the %Rh in the incubator.
There are many sites on the internet explaining this method, so if this is hard to follow, just goggle Salt Test Calibrating a Hygrometer. HTH

ETA should be calibrated at room temp

 

[igorsMistress]

It's been 7 hours and the hygrometer is 8% off so far. It's been holding steady for a a while. Leaving until 8 am tomorrow I think.

 

[igorsMistress]

@007Sean
Thank you so much for the information! I didn't know I needed to calibrate every time either.

 

[007Sean]

It's been 7 hours and the hygrometer is 8% off so far. It's been holding steady for a a while. Leaving until 8 am tomorrow I think.

Probably 8% low. More of them read low than high. If it's steady after 12 hours, I'd run with it.
After placing it in the bator, let it stabilize before making any adjustments to the humidity, usually within an hour, should be sufficient time.

 

[igorsMistress]

Probably 8% low. More of them read low than high. If it's steady after 12 hours, I'd run with it.
After placing it in the bator, let it stabilize before making any adjustments to the humidity, usually within an hour, should be sufficient time.

It's at 70% after almost 12 hours so I'll go with that, moving it back now. Thanks again!

 

[007Sean]

It's at 70% after almost 12 hours so I'll go with that, moving it back now. Thanks again!

That's not too bad a %diff. I've had some as much as 16% diff every time I calibrated them, threw them away and got another one.