HELP...

[RightFromtheStartDoula]

Hey gang...today is day 8 and all is well so far...we have 10 out of 12 with babies and lots of veins...the other 2 were duds...

So the HELP I need is with my humidity...I got my temp to stay between 100.5 and 101.5...but the humidity I can seem to get over 35-36..I have a LG still air and I am hand turing...I have all chambers filled and two other small cups of water in there and still it won't go up...I know this is going to be especially important at the end...Can anyone suggest something?..

Thanks

 

[Teresaann24]

Did you calabirate your humidity?

What kind of Hydrometer are you using to read humidity?

 

[RightFromtheStartDoula]

I am using a ACU Rite wired one...its silver and has the date, temp and humidty displayed on it..the package said nothing about calibrating it?...

 

[Teresaann24]

They dont say to on the packaging but its best to do so. If you have all your wells full and 2 extra cups thats alot of humidity. At hatching time I fill my wells and add a sponge and it shoots my humidity up to 65-70. I also am using a LG still air. So I think your humidity might be reading a bit off.

 

[RightFromtheStartDoula]

yea I think so too....I gee I hope I didn't mess up these poor babies...

I just put in a old fashioned thermometer that has the humidty thing on it and right away it says that its at 80%.....

I hate that you can't count on things to be right!!!....

Thanks for the help

 

[RightFromtheStartDoula]

What are you using to measure it?

 

[Smokin Silkies]

I also have an LG still air. The humidity stayed between 32%-40% which is where I wanted it but the last few days, and after I removed the auto turner...my humidity went really low and the temp didn't stay right on anymore. I already had all my water wells filled and 2 extra bowls plus sponges. My Springfield thermo/hygro read 101* and 35% humidity ( I didn't add this til day 16) I had 2 other thermometers and another hygometer in there since day 1. They read 102* and the reptile hygrometer read 55%-60%, but I could never get it the same, or know which one to go by. I chose to ignore the Springfield because I put it in late. My hatch turned out completely horrible

and think my humidity was way too low towards the end. I think the hygrometer and thermometers where off so my next hatch I WILL NOT start it without calibrating them first. I wish I would have known this before I started my hatch...it may have come out better

I forget how to calibrate them but I know I have read threads on BYC on how to do it. I also have read about it on online sites. I definately recommend calibrating before incubating.

Sorry I couldn't answer your question more accurately because I had the same problem with keeping up the humidity no matter how many bowls or sponges I had in there. I also had a humidifier running full time on high and it barely budged. I think it was just my hygrometer being off...thats why I WILL calibrate it and recommend it to anybody incubating. Good Luck! I hope you get a great hatch!!!

 

[nhnanna]

you get a small cup and put 1/2 a cup of salt in it then you put 1/4 cup of water in it and put the cup in a large zip lock bag, you place the humidity gauge in the bag to beside the cup (dont get it wet) and leave it for about 8 hours , try reading it thru the bag cause it will change pretty fast, when you read it after about 8 hours it should say 75% .....
If it says say 69% you know that you need to add 6% to any readings you take in the futur
If it says say 80% you know that you need to subtract 5% when you take any readings..

 

[Smokin Silkies]

Thank You nhnanna! I am calibrating all of mine tonight and sanitizing the bator and all. Next time I will feel more confident about hatching. This time was my first and it was a disaster, mainly I think because of my fault, or thermo/hygro readings off. Thanks again!!!

 

[nhnanna]

your welcome. I copied it from someone on here and saved it so I would have it. Good luck on your next hatch.