How much water to put in the incubator???

[Shogun99]

Here's my question....I have an incubator with no fan, no automatic turner, so I'll be doin the turning myself. No problem.

I just received eggs today and I want to start them up...(incubators been running 2 days and temp is about 100' F. There is also a tray in the bottom in which I put water in. Here's my problem. I don't have a humidifier recorder yet (picking one up when I go into town on Sunday) and want to get started.

How much water do you suggest I put in my humidifier for the next couple of days? The model of the incubator is the Hovabator 1602N. There is also no fan included.

Thanks for any and all assistance.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I have the same exact incubator. I would fill up half of the trays with water. Add more water every 3-4 days until you can get a humidity reader.

 

[Akane]

The instructions with that incubator say to fill only the large middle section. That is more than enough water for mine. I even ran mine nearly dry last time and only filled one of the small side sections. The instructions then say to fill the 2nd section of the tray next to the middle one for hatching chicken eggs and 3 of the spaces if hatching waterfowl.

 

[Shogun99]

I didn't see that in the directions and I found another copy online. Here's what I did...I filled the middle portion about half way and then one of the sides about halfway as well. I probably put in about a cup and a half. HOpefully this goes well. I'm on day 3 right now and I know I have a ways to wait. Blah.

 

[Katy]

Have you got your hydrometer (sp?) yet? If you haven't I'd run out and get one ASAP. I realize you're in a drier climate than I am for the most part, but I don't put that much water in the whole 21 days...including when I up the humidity for hatching. I'd be worried your humidity is way too high for this point of your incubation.

 

[Shogun99]

I haven't gotten it yet, but I will this afternoon after the vehicle gets back. On your recommendation, I adjusted my water levels to half. It doesn't look like there's much water in there now, but maybe that's a good thing. I've heard that dry incubations can work out too.

 

[Akane]

Humidity increases by surface area not amount of water overall. If you fill the tray halfway since it doesn't slope and has straight sides you will have the same humidity as filling it all the way. Filling both trays will give you too much humidity unless your in a really dry climate. At both trays full which mine is now it reads 75% and you want closer to 40%.

 

[Solsken Farm]

You are really in the dark without a hygrometer. I followed my manufacturers advice regarding the water level and it was at 80%! Go get that hygrometer. I ended up taking all the water out and practically dry incubating.

Good luck!

 

[Akane]

From the instruction paper for a 1602n hovabator:

Add water every few days to the center trough only. Usually twice a week is sufficient. The amount of moisture in the incubator is determined by the surface area of water exposed to the air. Under high humidity conditions and for some species of birds, less humidity is required. (The humidity in the incubator can be reduced by covering part of the water trough with aluminum foil and securing it with tape) Whenever there are doubts about the level of humidity in the incubator, less is usually better than more, except for the last two days. 2 to 3 days before the hatch, stop turning the eggs, and fill both the center and the outer troughs with water.​

 

[Shogun99]

Ok, so I got my hydrometer and put it in and it said humidity was 75% WOW! But it also said that the temperature in the incubator was 85 when my old world thermometer said it was at 99'. I'm wondering if this humidity gauge is crap.

So here is what I did. I removed most of the water except for about a tablespoon and the humidity level shot down to about 55% I think I'll just have to keep it at that level for now.

Will my eggs die though that the humidity was so high for the first couple of days? I would think that eggs would have to be fairly hardy due to nature and whatnot. Suggestions? Comments? Point and Laughs?