How to LOWER humidity?

[acreed]

I know how to raise my humidity in my Bator, but how can I lower it without having to get all that water out? Should I open the vent plug on top? Temp is 99.6, humidity is 60% and climbing. Just getting the Bator ready, no eggs in yet.

 

[coolmind1999]

If is urgent open the bator but controlling it to a lower humidity may take time like open some vents but that will take some time if it a do or die situation I'd just open the bator :/
My bator doesn't even control the humidity I put water in a tray

 

[Bill 101]

As long as you don't have eggs in the bator, why not see how high the humidity will go. At some point, at lockdown, you are going to have to raise the humidity to at least 60%. I'd let it go until it stabilizes & see what it is, then you know what to do at lockdown to get it up where you need it.
As long as it's empty you can just shut it off, empty out the water, dry it out & re-start it. Before you put eggs in you might want to only put in enough water to get the humidity to around 35-40% to start. I've seen the humidity raise after putting eggs in& you don't want it to high to begin with. You can always raise it to what ever you want after everything stabilizes
Don't know what kind of bator you are using, but isn't the vent supposed to be open?

 

[acreed]

I don't know. It is a genesis hovabater 1588 and I just got it new. The plug was in and it didn't have detailed directions. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try that.

 

[Bill 101]

You may have to go on-line to get the instructions for operation. A lot of incubator manufacturers are doing that now, as if the extra couple of dollars to PRINT an instruction book would kill them

 

[dretd]

Hi acreed!

Gosh there are so many things to talk about and you are at an ideal time becasue there are no eggs in the incubator yet.

First thing is I would calibrate the hygrometer and see how accurate it really is. I have a batch of eggs in the incubator and three hygrometers--two digital and one coil-type. The coil is my most accurate. My digitals are reading low by quite a bit but do not match. Currently one says 7%, one says 15% and my coil says 35% ( I am doing a 'dry' hatch so I am keeping my humidity between 30 and 40% and weighing my eggs with a gram scale to start then at candling to make sure they are losing the correct amount by day 18 which is 13% of their weight). I am ignoring the digitals and only going by the coil one.

There are several ways to calibrate, one is a wet bulb method and the other is a salt water method. Here is a link to a site that describes the salt water method: http://www.sciencecompany.com/Understanding-Relative-Humidity-and-the-Hygrometer-W136.aspx You can't change the reading on the digital, but if you know it is supposed to read 75% and it says 50% you know that it reads way to low and can add 25% on to the reading.

I would also place several thermomters in there and see how accurate the one you are using is. I have several thermometers in mone and they vary depending on where in the incubator they live. And if I move a probe one to different locations, it will change by close to a degree so there is variability withinng the incubator. You did not say if yours is still air or forced air nor what your room temp or rooom humidity is running. Having the incubator in a stable environment will make things much easier for you. I am now running a humidifier in the room to hep with my humidity in the incubator--it is helping a lot. I have both of my plugs out and that is working well for me, although I think that the directions say to leave them in until lockdown.

 

[acreed]

Thanks so much for all the information! I think I will use the salt method and see how close it is. Thanks again!

 

[GraceHomestead]

I am on my 2nd incubation! First was with an older little giant and I had a great hatch rate!! 9/9 chicks 11/15 ducks.
My hubby bought me a new little giant digital incubator and for the 24 hours before I added eggs the temp and humidity was great....without any water!
I added the eggs today and it is all over the place!! The humidity says 65% and climbing????? With no water...
I also have eggs in the older incubator and have the same thermometer/hygrometer I used last hatch. I put itvin the new bator and it read 8% lower then the one that came with the bator.
Do I just get a different (just like my other one) and only rely on it?!
how do I get it to go down and stay down??
Or do I just leave it for a day so the eggs have time to warm up and maybe it will settle back to normal???

 

[feedman77]

I am on my 2nd incubation! First was with an older little giant and I had a great hatch rate!! 9/9 chicks 11/15 ducks.
My hubby bought me a new little giant digital incubator and for the 24 hours before I added eggs the temp and humidity was great....without any water!
I added the eggs today and it is all over the place!! The humidity says 65% and climbing????? With no water...
I also have eggs in the older incubator and have the same thermometer/hygrometer I used last hatch. I put itvin the new bator and it read 8% lower then the one that came with the bator.
Do I just get a different (just like my other one) and only rely on it?!
how do I get it to go down and stay down??
Or do I just leave it for a day so the eggs have time to warm up and maybe it will settle back to normal???

I assume you have a forced air?

The ones I had don't trust the thermometer readout or the humidity either. I had to set my temp on the incubator to 104 to maintain 99 at top of eggs.

Had cold spot and hot spots in the corners of +/- 6 degrees. I think some of this is due to the heating element not being centered.

If you have the plastic sheet attached to probe watch it cause any movement will change the way it senses temp. When I used a turner it would move as the eggs turned.

Also keep an eye on the lid it doesn't always settle in the groove the best. Leaks air.

I gave one incubator away. Have the other for emergency hatcher. These will incubate and hatch but take a lot of watching and tweaking.

 

[GraceHomestead]

I assume you have a forced air?

No it is the 9300 still air incubator. Digital with the heating element in the center of the top of the bator.

The ones I had don't trust the thermometer readout or the humidity either. I had to set my temp on the incubator to 104 to maintain 99 at top of eggs.

That is what I figured...I will buy a thermometer like the other I am using.

Had cold spot and hot spots in the corners of +/- 6 degrees. I think some of this is due to the heating element not being centered.

I have the eggs in the center so not near the edges. Wish I could get a turner but not at this time.

If you have the plastic sheet attached to probe watch it cause any movement will change the way it senses temp. When I used a turner it would move as the eggs turned.

Yep its attached and I noticed when it moved it is all over the place :/

Thanks