First timer here, and I can't get humidity down in incubator

[happymom99]

Hi there. I bought 24 fertile eggs and a second hand incubator from the gentleman I bought the eggs from. I'm practicing with it today, to learn how to use it, without putting the eggs in.

The temp is great but I can't get the humidity to go below 74 percent. It has two ventilation holes and I've opened both of them. Is there anything else I can do?

In case it matters the Incubator is Farm Innovations pro series with automatic egg turner.

Thank you for any help.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Is it humid where you live? I would take all water out of the incubator, and buy a second thermometer/ hydrometer.

 

[happymom99]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is 35% humidity where I live. I will try taking out the water and see if I can get a new thermometer and hydrometer.

Do you know how many days these eggs can wait before I incubate? He said they're all fresh, just from the last couple or three days.

 

[happymom99]

Would this work? https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humi...sprefix=thermometer+hyd,industrial,194&sr=1-3

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I have something like that. Also can you get a mercury thermometer? I lay mine where the middle of the egg would be.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is 35% humidity where I live. I will try taking out the water and see if I can get a new thermometer and hydrometer.

Do you know how many days these eggs can wait before I incubate? He said they're all fresh, just from the last couple or three days.

The eggs will be fine 7 to 10 days, but the fresher the better.

 

[happymom99]

I am only seeing mercury free thermometers.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

You will need one that will take temperatures up to 300' that way you can test it in boiling water to see how accurate it is.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

There are ways to see how accurate your hygrometer is too. It's called calibration. You can check air cells to see if they are growing enough to know if it's too humid too.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/