Help....quick!

[nhblond]

Okay, I am still fairly new to incubating and have never hatched quail. I have 12 Button quail eggs coming tomorrow. Here is my main concern. I recently installed a fan in my Little Giant incubator. When I hatched a peacock egg I never used a hygrometer, or a fan. But since I want everything to go right with the quail, I bought a thermometer with a small hygrometer at the bottom, and installed the fan. Well, this has me stumped. I filled all the water reservoirs in the bottom of the bator and ran it for a test run to check everything. If the bator is running, the humidity is only like 45% or less, but if the bator is not running it jumps up to 80%! We are making a trip to Walmart tonight and I am wondering if I should pick up a better thermometer/ hygrometer, maybe digital? Please, can someone help me with this issue? My eggs are coming tomorrow, and I would like to have everything running smoothly on a test run later tonight.
Also, how often do you all check and refill the water reservoirs? I will be concerned about opening the bator too much. I do have turning racks by the way.
Thanks so much for any help you can offer!

 

[Stellar]

I use the digital hygrometers from the gardening section of home depot for 9.95 each I believe. I haven't been to walmart for awhile so I don't know what they offer.

As for the water reservoirs, I fill it up as much as I can, I peek and if it's low, I fill it up again. The water is more important when the eggs are expected to hatch more so than the incubation process.

 

[nhblond]

Thanks! We are leaving in a few minutes for Walmart and Home Depot, so I will check on the ones you mentioned. Thanks so much for the help, since I wasn't sure what else I could do since the reservoirs are currently full. I will keep you posted. I am soooooo excited for the eggs to arrive tomorrow

 

[shelleyd2008]

The humidity should go up if the bator isn't running, when the temperature drops in the incubator the air is able to 'hold' more humidity.

What direction is the fan blowing? The ones that are made for the incubators blow up towards the top to blow the heat down from the element.

 

[feather leg farms]

Today is the 15th day and they are still not pipping. Bad sign?

 

[Robo]

Not yet, give them time. They like to mess with ya.

 

[nhblond]

Okay, seriously the incubator is making me crazy!!!! I went and bought a digital thermometer at Home Depot last night. The highest the humidity got was about 40%, but now it is back to the high 20's. I filled the reservoirs and just put a styrofoam cup with two wet paper towels in it into the bator. Also, the thermometer doesn't read half degrees so I will have to choose between 99 and 100 degrees.... I am thinking 100 right? I put some weight on top of the incubator since there are small gaps because of the cord from the turner. We have some of the foam tape insulation that you can use around windows, etc, but that would be tricky to use and still be able to open the incubator. Also, here's another concern...... I only have two turning racks in the bator. On the one free side sitting on top of the wire I have: the original thermometer that came with the bator, the new digital thermometer, and now the styrofoam cup. That only leaves the other open side free, with not much room on the side I mentioned. When they go into lock down, I want to take them out of the racks and set them on the wire. Do you think I will have enough room??? I ordered 12 eggs, and I am sure there will be a few extra.
PLEASE, PLEASE help me work out these issues....... I am picking up the eggs later today at the Post Office!!!!!

 

[nhblond]

Quick update....

Just checked and the temp is at 99, so I barely touched the knob and I am hoping I can get it to stay at 100.
The humidity is up to 37% which is a lot better than it was! If I can't get it to go above that, will it be alright????

Oh and the Post Office called and the eggs are in! I will go down later to get them since I have an appt in town later..... Yay!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some thermometers are made to be accurate to within 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit. These are not worth a lot in an incubator. You need a thermometer accurate to within 0.1 degrees. I don't know where you can find one real quickly. I ordered mine from Cutler Suppply but that took a few days. I do not recommend the one they have that is both a hygrometer and thermometer. It is hard to calibrate the thermometer and mine got inaccurate I think due to the high humidity in an incubator during lockdown. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistake.

After you get it, you need to calibrate it. It is extremely possible that some inaccuracies are set in the thermometer due to manufacturing tolerances. Next time you are at Walmart, Lowe's or somewhere they sell thermomneters, look at the thermometers all stored on the same shelf in the same climate controlled conditions. I've seen as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit difference in the high and low at some places. These are the outdoor type that are not intended to be within 0.1 degrees, but they illustrate the point.

Unless you get a thermometer that is properly accurate and you calibrate it, you are not sure what the actual temperature is.


Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

Rebel’s Hygrometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/HygrometerCalibration.html