Help with incubator humidity

[Nicx]

I need some help. This is my first time incubating duck eggs. I am using a HDD 24 mini incubator which was fine for the first two weeks but now I cannot control the humidity. I have 4 duck eggs that seem to be progressing but now I am concerned as the humidity has risen to 65+. I have emptied all the water out and it has still only lowered slightly! Any ideas or suggestions on how to lower it back to 55-60 range ( i think this is right, so much conflicting info on the web). Also my incubator has no air vents, so I can't even use that to help!

thanks

 

[nuthatched]

Your hygrometer must be on the fritz if it's suddenly acting up and reading humidity when there's no cause.

 

[Nicx]

Your hygrometer must be on the fritz if it's suddenly acting up and reading humidity when there's no cause.

Yeah i did think that so i bought a new thermometer and popped it in both incubators, i also have a tiny incubator. It's reading a completely diff temperature and humidity level to both the incubators. So now I have no idea what's going on. I didn't know whether to spray them, not to spray them - totally confused now!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

HDD 24 mini incubator which was fine for the first two weeks but now I cannot control the humidity. I have 4 duck eggs that seem to be progressing but now I am concerned as the humidity has risen to 65+.

I agree, chances are your hygrometer is faulty.. Are you able to calibrate or use another?

What is your ambient humidity, according to the weather channel?

My bator runs approximately 25-30% lower than ambient conditions, when completely DRY.

If using built in read outs.. temp may be off as well and will have a MUCH more significant impact than humidity.. If it was dialed in pretty good most the time.. is much more forgiving than temperature issues.

Some of the humidity inside the bator will be coming from the egg evaporation.. How long after removing water did you wait for the read out to adjust?

I doubt it's truly dire.. but if it did feel that way.. some folks have added DRY rice to their bator. Even a dry paper towel MIGHT absorb some of the humidity... and very worse comes to worse.. propping the lid open a crack since you don't have vents that can be opened farther.. (MAYBE in the future drilling more vent holes IF humidity really is an issue.)

Happy hatching!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It's reading a completely diff temperature and humidity level to both the incubators.

VERY common.. Difference in placement alone or what it may be touching has heavy impact. Get familiar with your warm and cool spots, move your eggs around to adjust for them and keep hatch frame tight!

If you can't get them to agree.. decide which is *most* accurate or how far off the reading is and adjust for it in your brain regardless of what the readout says.. use it as a guide basically.

 

[Nicx]

I agree, chances are your hygrometer is faulty.. Are you able to calibrate or use another?

What is your ambient humidity, according to the weather channel?

My bator runs approximately 25-30% lower than ambient conditions, when completely DRY.

If using built in read outs.. temp may be off as well and will have a MUCH more significant impact than humidity.. If it was dialed in pretty good most the time.. is much more forgiving than temperature issues.

Some of the humidity inside the bator will be coming from the egg evaporation.. How long after removing water did you wait for the read out to adjust?

I doubt it's truly dire.. but if it did feel that way.. some folks have added DRY rice to their bator. Even a dry paper towel MIGHT absorb some of the humidity... and very worse comes to worse.. propping the lid open a crack since you don't have vents that can be opened farther.. (MAYBE in the future drilling more vent holes IF humidity really is an issue.)

Happy hatching!

thank you for all your advice, I've checked ambient temp and like you said taken 25 per cent off, leaving it around 61 which is much better than i thought. Fingers crossed all will be ok!

 

[Nicx]

VERY common.. Difference in placement alone or what it may be touching has heavy impact. Get familiar with your warm and cool spots, move your eggs around to adjust for them and keep hatch frame tight!

If you can't get them to agree.. decide which is *most* accurate or how far off the reading is and adjust for it in your brain regardless of what the readout says.. use it as a guide basically.

Thank you, it's so stressful - worse than when I had my own children I will have a go at what you suggest.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

thank you for all your advice, I've checked ambient temp and like you said taken 25 per cent off, leaving it around 61 which is much better than i thought. Fingers crossed all will be ok!

You mean humidity though.. not temp, right?

 

[Nicx]

You mean humidity though.. not temp, right?

Yes sorry, definitely meant humidity