Help! Humidity problem and eggs are coming tomorrow!!!

[E.M. Silkies]

I set up my incubator yesterday to get it ready and make sure everything was working ok. When I checked it today my humidity was at 33. I've added water but it's not coming up. What do I do?! I'm freaking out because my eggs are coming in the mail tomorrow! It is one of the styrofoam hova bators. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

[robnms]

What kind of incy is it???

 

[E.M. Silkies]

Its a hova bator.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I had to modify my hova-bator when I used one. I cut away alot of the styrofoam on bottom so the bottom of a plastic cut-off coffee can would fit under my turner. It held alot more water. Since then, I've purchased a Sportsman 1502.

 

[ranchhand]

I suspect the question was more oriented toward what kind of Hova-Bator. Is it a still air, is it a still air with fan added, is it a Genesis 1588? All will have different areas or quantities specified for water.

Do you have the manual? If not, you can see it online by doing a search for GQF manufacturers. Also, test your hygrometer and make sure it's accurate. Many aren't.

 

[robnms]

I have a Hova too, it's the 1602n and I've been running it for a week now with eggs in it at about 35% and they should be fine. This is sorta like the dry incubation technique which is suppose to work well. You can take a sponge and add it to the bator and keep it moist to increase the humidity. Put it in the other side of the tray and see how high it raises the humidity. I noticed that when the cool front came through MS a few days ago that I had to start adding water every morning and night to maintain about 35% humidity. I've been using a new injector syringe from a turkey injector kit to add water to the tray, I just broke off the bottom part of it where the holes where and it's made getting water in there easier.

EDIT: You can also add a small lid from a jar and add water to that, raising the humidity isn't about how much water you have in it, it'a about the surface area of the water.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll guess the 1588 since it is what I have but Hovabator has different models.

With my 1588, there are 5 different water reservoirs in the bottom. I fill the center one during incubation and the middle two for lockdown. My humidities are in the range of low to mid 40's for incubation and mid 60's for lockdown. Once hatch starts, humidity jumps to the low to mid 80's.

Humidity does not depend on water volume or water depth. Surface area is all that counts. If your humidity is too low, add surface area. Add water to different reservoirs. Put a sponge or something in to absorb the water and expose more wet surface area to the air.

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? Unless you calibrate it, you have no idea what your humidity actually is.

Is your lid on correctly? Once I got mine on wrong when the turner cord was not in the groove. My humidity was low until I put the lid on correctly.

Is your incubator in an area that the heat and humidity is pretty constant? Is it in a draft? It needs to be in a place that the temperature or humidity does not swing very much, that is not in direct sunlight, and is not in a draft, like under a vent. These will mostly affect temperature but they affect humidity too.

Mine 1588 has one vent on top. I usually leave it open during incubation and hatch so I get plenty of oxygen to the eggs and chicks. You need to play with adding water to different reservoirs before you set eggs to see what you have to do to get the humidities you want. I found that my humidity goes up about 3% when I put the plug in. I find that difference inconsequential.

Hopefully you can pick something out of this that helps. Good luck!

 

[E.M. Silkies]

Woops. Sorry. I think its a 1602 but I cant be positive--it is not mine-I'm using a friends. It is a still air and we havnt added a fan. I have a tip sheet and it says to fill the inner tray with water for the first 18 days and then fill both trays durning lockdown. It also says that we should be able to only add water 2-3 times a week. That doesn't seem realistic though. So if I add a sponge or the lid with water, does it matter where it is put in the incubator?

 

[E.M. Silkies]

I've got a digital hygrometer. It says that it can be off by 4 or 5 in either direction sometimes though. I was thinking it should be in the mid 40's to 50's for incubation and then hit the 60's for lockdown? Am I wrong?

 

[E.M. Silkies]

Is there a trick to where you should place the thermometer and hygrometer to get more accurate readings?