Help! Having Temp/Humidity Problems...I think

[jlgoinggreen]

Hi Everyone,
I am hatching eggs for the very first time. My eggs are on their way and should be here either tomorrow or Wednesday. We have 24 chicken eggs and 6 turkey eggs coming. We bought a new Genesis 1588 Hova Bator. My chicken eggs will go in there. Then one of our homeschool friends gave me an older Little Giant still air she was not going to use. Our turkey eggs will go in there.

My Hova Bator brought a "regular" thermometer with it, but I put that one in with my LG since the HB is supposed to have an internal thermometer and I had nothing for my LG. I had dh buy me two humidity monitors that also measure temperature and I am going to buy another "regular" thermometer later. Both incubators have been on since this morning. I had trouble getting the right temp on my LG, but finally have the temp at 100 per the "regular" thermometer. The problem is that the humidity monitor is reading a temp about 6 degrees below and the humidity is at 77%. Now my HB has a temp of 100 per this humidity monitor (which I don't trust) with the light in the HB flashing which I was told means the temp is perfectly at about 100 degrees, but the humidity level on it is stuck on 52%. All of the troughs are filled with water. Not sure what to do.

And I know I have the answer here right in front of my eyes somewhere in the gazillion books, print outs, etc... I have, but for the life of me I can't find it. I also think I'm starting to go cross eyed and have a head ache from my nerves.

Please help me.

 

[Kittymomma]

Have you calibrated your hygrometers? They are usually off, sometimes by quite a bit.

1/2 cup salt mixed with 1/4 cup water in small bowl/coffee cup. Place salt mix in ziploc bag with hygrometer beside it for 12-24 hours. Hygrometer should read 75% (but it won't.)

Mine read 71 so I add 4 to whatever it says in the incubator. If it read 85% in the bag I'd -10 instead.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your hatch.

ETA: Salt mix stays in the bowl/cup and the whole thing sits in the sealed ziploc bag.

 

[Keri78]

I go by my digital little hygrometer...it seems to be very accurate. You want your humidity around 50% but don't freak out if it's 45%. Check out this link from the BYC homepage. It's VERY detailed and helped me alot! I try to keep my temp between 99-100...and my humidity around 50%...just one trough full. It usually stays around 47-48%. Then during the last few days you'll want to bump up the humidity of course. Here's the link!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html

Blessings, Keri

 

[jlgoinggreen]

Thanks ladies. Hopefully I'll have everything settled by the time my babies arrive in their eggs.

 

[jlgoinggreen]

Quote:
OK....not sure what I am doing wrong. I took out all of the water and put in about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Now both incubators are reading:

HB temp 100 F / 70% and the LG 106 F / 74%????

What am I doing wrong?

I lowered the temp on the LG, but can't figure out how to control the humidity.

 

[Bec]

You may want to install a fan in the LG. It only takes a few minutes and only costs about 5-6$. Get a computer fan and wire it to an old adapter charger. I am horrible at explaining how to do it, but I will find you a link. If you do end up installing it, hot glue some screen over the fan so no one gets hurt in there! I think that will really help with the temps. I started with a LG still air and had to install a fan. Just had my very first successful hatch that ended today!

 

[Bec]

Here it is! Good info here!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=315773

 

[Kittymomma]

The temp on the lg still air will change with anything you do. I have one and found that it spiked when I added water, but if I didn't mess with it it would go back down in an hour or so on its own. I've come to believe that hatching with the lg still airs is as much art as science. Humidity needs seem to vary by location. I didn'tadd any water for the first week, then I filled the center well to bring the humidty up to the 42-46 range and filled them all on day 18 (the lockdown that wasn't because I had pip already) to bring the humididty up to 70-75. Most of the chicks hatched on day 19 and with all the wet shells and chicks the humidity spiked to 95. I did the no-no and took chicks and shells out and the humidity dropped back to 72. I had one hatch on day 20 and two that didn't, but when I looked they had quit sometime around day 12-15. I ended up with 22/24 hatched and healthy.

You'll notice that the temp. you thought was stable takes a big dive when you put the eggs in. It will stay low for 6-12 hours but just leave it alone until it gets stable. If you start trying to adjust it too early you'll wake up in the morning and the bator will be at 106 so give it a little time. Lower temps. especially at the beginning aren't nearly as bad for them as those high spikes.

Oh yeah, HAVE FUN!!!! The kids and I had a blast with our first hatch, the only problem is I don't think I'll be able to stop now.

 

[jlgoinggreen]

First of all my HB is perfect and I love it!!!!

My eggs aren't even here yet, but I already feel comfortable and at peace with it. I would recommend the spending a little more for it. It was so worth what we paid. I really don't feel like I will have a problem with it.

Now my LG is a totally different story. The price was perfect. FREE and you can't beat that.

But it sure has taken a lot of work.

I think I finally figured it out though. I was able to get the temperature stable at 100 degrees and can go lower or higher if I want to. The knob is VERY sensitive so you have to turn it ever so slightly then wait.....patiently.....

......very patiently....and eventually the temp will go up or down depending on which way you turn the knob.

Now the humidity was kicking my butt.

That one took me a while to figure out, but I think I finally got it. I opened one of the windows in the top.....not all the way, just a very small opening. This seems to be working. The humidity is coming down VERY slowly. It is now at 55%. I closed the window most of the way now, but it still has a small opening. The temp is staying at 100 F. Now to see if the humidity will keep coming down and I have to close the window all the way or will it stabilize itself. I hope I don't have to spend the whole incubation time opening and closing this window.

Now another question going through my head.....If the temp stays put, but the humidity keeps flying up to 60 - 70% are my eggs going to be in trouble? These will be my turkey eggs.