Hatching duck eggs - temperature and humidity question - what should it be really?

[Miss Lydia]

I have a forced air incubator and have a bowl of water in there but can't seem to get humidity up above 35 or so using hygrometer to measure, suggestions please? I'm gonna but a washcloth in the bowl to see if that helps?

Never hating in an incubator I really can't say but we have some seasoned hatchers on here, Lacrystol being one, maybe PM her.

Have you looked through the search?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=How+to+raise+humidity+in+a+still+air+incubator
Might find some ideas herehttp://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed
This says goose incubation guide but can be used for water fowl period.

 

[txcarl1258]

I don't add water to my bator at first. I monitor the air cells and add water as needed. When I added water I had too many die before pipping.

 

[charlindabob]

I see this isn't the above poster's first rodeo. I agree 100% with you. Too many people and too many incubator instructions say keep the humidity high during incubation and even higher during hatching. It is little wonder they have full term deaths in the egg.

 

[yellow duck]

Im finding that its not the amount of water but the surface area of water. I would add another bowl with a small water surface a little more at a time till u get the desired humidity. I have a little giant incubator and made small holes to put air tubing through and add water through that with syringe a little at a time till i got the perfect humidity. Then just add like 5mls a day for evaporation

 

[topdog24]

the bowl of water wont help much, take some regular sponges and put one under each vent hole in top, you can add water to the sponges using a drinking straw and a childs medicine syringe, you can pick one up at any drug store, it isn't the amount of water you have in there that counts, it is the surface area of the water/or sponge, it wont take a lot to keep it around 40/45 %, did you add water to your trays in the bottom? Here is a BYC thread that haS ALL THE INFO YOU WILL EVER NEED
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[tow315man]

I cut the bottoms off of a plastc cup and fill them with water also seems to work well.

 

[saucyred416]

Just put my first duck eggs in! Read all of your advice!

 

[shellikirbey]

There are two humidity readings.... a wet bulb vs. dry bulb.  The 86% range would be if you are using a wet bulb.  Otherwise keep it between 45-55% for incubation, 70-75% for hatching.

101 temp is for still air, 99.5 is for forced air bators.  If you had your temp ranging up to 101 with a fan in your bator, that sounds a  bit high.

 

[shellikirbey]

if I have a still aur incubator but I put in a SM fan will that make it a forced air UNC

 

[richtreme]

Increasing humidity is very tricky. I hope people understand the lesson I will teach.

Humidity is based on the area rate of evaporation. The wider the opening of water, the higher rate possible.
For example: a test tube filled with water will have a lower humidity. If you poured that same amount of water in to a wide bowl, it will have a higher humidity since the opening is WIDER and allows more water to evaporate.


Here is how I CONTROL humidity.

Step 1, set the temperature to desired amount.
Step 2 use a plastic ice cube tray and fill 1 cube slot ONLY. (tip! a syringe would work here)
Step 3 Use a hygrometer to measure the humidity Is humidity 55%?
If not, then repeat step 2 and step 3 until you get the humidity you want

Step 4 Remember how many ice cube slots you used.