Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[SnapdragonQ]

@CluckNDoodle
Your location shows you to be in GA, and I'm assuming you probably have the same higher humidity that NC, SC, and VA do. I also think I saw somewhere that you posted you keep your NRs around 40 to 45% humidity days 1 to 17 too, right?

The reason I'm asking is because my house humidity is about 50 to 53% right now and after setting the eggs my NR is wanting to stay over 50% instead of around 47% like the test run.
It's only been 2 days and it's been taking about 1oz of water twice a day to maintain it at 3/4 full. But after reading and digging deeper and I think my humidity is too high even with the vent all the way open.
I'm guessing your area humidity and mine are probably similar. When you first started out with the NRs do you remember what your first few batches' humidity levels were?

I checked mine to another temp and hygrometer gauge before starting and they nearly the same with a 2% difference. A steady 2% over the 2 & 1/2 day test run.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

@CluckNDoodle
Your location shows you to be in GA, and I'm assuming you probably have the same higher humidity that NC, SC, and VA do. I also think I saw somewhere that you posted you keep your NRs around 40 to 45% humidity days 1 to 17 too, right?

The reason I'm asking is because my house humidity is about 50 to 53% right now and after setting the eggs my NR is wanting to stay over 50% instead of around 47% like the test run.
It's only been 2 days and it's been taking about 1oz of water twice a day to maintain it at 3/4 full. But after reading and digging deeper and I think my humidity is too high even with the vent all the way open.
I'm guessing your area humidity and mine are probably similar. When you first started out with the NRs do you remember what your first few batches' humidity levels were?

I checked mine to another temp and hygrometer gauge before starting and they nearly the same with a 2% difference. A steady 2% over the 2 & 1/2 day test run.

I live just inland of Savannah, Georgia. It's like living in a sauna. Hot hot hot and sooooo humid. Because it's so uncomfortable through the summer here, my central air is running non stop and dries out the house. Last time I checked, I think the ambient humidity in my home usually sits around 45% (at least in the chicken room where I keep the incubators). The eggs will release their own moisture as well and depending on how porous the shells are it can increase the humidity in the incubator more or less.

When I first started hatching with this incubator I almost panicked about keeping the humidity around 55% for the first 18 days because that's what I initially read. Since I branched out and tried several other incubators and hatched many other species, I got more technical and started adjusting the humidity percentage to get the best hatch rates every time. My humidity now for the first 18 days is somewhere between 35-55%, and yes, most commonly right around 40-45% and 65% for hatch. I base my humidity adjustments on air cells growth or weight loss now.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

@CluckNDoodle
Your location shows you to be in GA, and I'm assuming you probably have the same higher humidity that NC, SC, and VA do. I also think I saw somewhere that you posted you keep your NRs around 40 to 45% humidity days 1 to 17 too, right?

The reason I'm asking is because my house humidity is about 50 to 53% right now and after setting the eggs my NR is wanting to stay over 50% instead of around 47% like the test run.
It's only been 2 days and it's been taking about 1oz of water twice a day to maintain it at 3/4 full. But after reading and digging deeper and I think my humidity is too high even with the vent all the way open.
I'm guessing your area humidity and mine are probably similar. When you first started out with the NRs do you remember what your first few batches' humidity levels were?

I checked mine to another temp and hygrometer gauge before starting and they nearly the same with a 2% difference. A steady 2% over the 2 & 1/2 day test run.

If ambient humidity is good, you don't have to add water.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

If ambient humidity is good, you don't have to add water.

Well, the fan and heating element dry out the incubator more than the room it's in so even if it's 45% ambient humidity it would likely be much lower inside the incubator. The incubator on the left was completely empty, no eggs, no water, and running empty for at least 24 hours, probably longer.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I live just inland of Savannah, Georgia. It's like living in a sauna. Hot hot hot and sooooo humid. Because it's so uncomfortable through the summer here, my central air is running non stop and dries out the house. Last time I checked, I think the ambient humidity in my home usually sits around 45% (at least in the chicken room where I keep the incubators). The eggs will release their own moisture as well and depending on how porous the shells are it can increase the humidity in the incubator more or less.

When I first started hatching with this incubator I almost panicked about keeping the humidity around 55% for the first 18 days because that's what I initially read. Since I branched out and tried several other incubators and hatched many other species, I got more technical and started adjusting the humidity percentage to get the best hatch rates every time. My humidity now for the first 18 days is somewhere between 35-55%, and yes, most commonly right around 40-45% and 65% for hatch. I base my humidity adjustments on air cells growth or weight loss now.

Oy, Savannah...yeah, sauna. I used to live a bit up the coast in Chucktown. (Y'all didn't do the green river this past March did you?)

This is so helpful, thank you! As I've been hovering over the bator since hitting go, I've been feeling uncomfortable about the humidity but don't know if I'm just being a worry wart about drowning my chicks....rightly so, or if it's typical newbie jitters. I've always relied on broody hens in the past.
Were your initial hatches at 55% (before day 18) fairly successful? I remember at the beginning of this thread you listed hatch percentages in different NR machines but didn't know if those were your first hatches ever or just with the NR bators.

If ambient humidity is good, you don't have to add water.

Good to know. That was one of the things I have been wondering about and now I know what a "dry incubation" means.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oy, Savannah...yeah, sauna. I used to live a bit up the coast in Chucktown. (Y'all didn't do the green river this past March did you?)

This is so helpful, thank you! As I've been hovering over the bator since hitting go, I've been feeling uncomfortable about the humidity but don't know if I'm just being a worry wart about drowning my chicks....rightly so, or if it's typical newbie jitters. I've always relied on broody hens in the past.
Were your initial hatches at 55% (before day 18) fairly successful? I remember at the beginning of this thread you listed hatch percentages in different NR machines but didn't know if those were your first hatches ever or just with the NR bators.

Good to know. That was one of the things I have been wondering about and now I know what a "dry incubation" means.

I'm pretty sure I only posted the Nurture Right percentages here and they were phenomenal even when I knew little about what I was doing, lol. It seems to be a very forgiving incubator and is still my favorite even after using more expensive incubators.

I'll have to check out green river. I've never heard of it!
Edit: ooooh you mean St Patty's. Lol, it was very anticlimactic this year. Lol

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Currently I'm at 2000' in mountain foothills and it's a humid area in the summers. I've had to run the AC some the last few days and know that when AC is really going a lot my house's ambient humidity will be lower. An AC setting of 75 does a good job to keep it cool and act as a great dehumidifier. We do cool down at nicely at night here.

Well, normally I'm not running the AC at all this time of year and humidity doesn't get oppresive until late June but Ma Nature has other ideas.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I'm pretty sure I only posted the Nurture Right percentages here and they were phenomenal even when I knew little about what I was doing, lol. It seems to be a very forgiving incubator and is still my favorite even after using more expensive incubators.

I'll have to check out green river. I've never heard of it!
Edit: ooooh you mean St Patty's. Lol, it was very anticlimactic this year. Lol

Thank you!

I went and re-read the article and your terrific hatch rates. It would seem I'm being a bit of a worry wart and can relax a little about humidity. I sucked some of the water out and it's down at 49% now with the vent all the way open. I think I'll try to aim more towards 45%.
All the eggs were candled before setting and I pulled any that appeared to be too pourous. Well, all but one. I have three different breeds and mixes in it and wanted at least 5 of each's eggs. I marked that egg specifically so I could keep a better eye on it during the process.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you!

I went and re-read the article and your terrific hatch rates. It would seem I'm being a bit of a worry wart and can relax a little about humidity. I sucked some of the water out and it's down at 49% now with the vent all the way open. I think I'll try to aim more towards 45%.
All the eggs were candled before setting and I pulled any that appeared to be too pourous. Well, all but one. I have three different breeds and mixes in it and wanted at least 5 of each's eggs. I marked that egg specifically so I could keep a better eye on it during the process.

I bet you'll have a great hatch!

 

[CrisAnderson27]

Well, the fan and heating element dry out the incubator more than the room it's in so even if it's 45% ambient humidity it would likely be much lower inside the incubator. The incubator on the left was completely empty, no eggs, no water, and running empty for at least 24 hours, probably longer.

View attachment 2159536

I agree. I mean going off the numbers on the incubator, or on your internal hygrometer. When mine read 45% last week...on my GoVee and the incubator both, with no water...I left it empty lol.

Thank you!

I went and re-read the article and your terrific hatch rates. It would seem I'm being a bit of a worry wart and can relax a little about humidity. I sucked some of the water out and it's down at 49% now with the vent all the way open. I think I'll try to aim more towards 45%.
All the eggs were candled before setting and I pulled any that appeared to be too pourous. Well, all but one. I have three different breeds and mixes in it and wanted at least 5 of each's eggs. I marked that egg specifically so I could keep a better eye on it during the process.

I take out the B plug also, if I need to lower the humidity. Honestly I run the entire thing without it anyhow....but I know some don't, so that's always an option.