How to Raise the Humidity???

[littledirtlane]

I have a VERY home made incubator - it should not even be called an incubator. But I did candle my eggs (shame on me) on day 4 and I have little veins everywhere, so it must not be too bad. I was using one of those very cheap thermometers and today I got in my digital with humidity reading...my humidity is only at 25% and my temp is 101 degrees without a fan - Let me tell you my pitiful set up so you can know how to help me.

I have a metal basket (it is a straining basket, so it is very fine grating at the bottom.) It stays warm, but doesn't get hot. I have a tea towel inside of the basket and the eggs in the basket. I have a small condiment cup of water in there and a small washcloth on top that I spritz with water a few times a day. Do I need some sort of a fan? I don't know what I am doing....

I am a NEWBIE to chickens...I have one other question too...can someone explain the whole eating the eggs process?? If I have roosters and hens won't all of my eggs be fertilized? Do I eat a fertilized egg...that kind of creeps me out...I just am confused...I bet I will be an expert eventually but I am claiming amateur right now, lol...

Thanks in advance for your help...I appreciate every bit of advice I can get...sorry for the "stupid" question...haha.

Jess

 

[babsbag]

Yes, most likely all your eggs will be fertilized. You can look for a white bullseye on the yolk when you eat them. It is about the size of a BB.

You don't need a fan, many hatch without them.

Can you post a picture of your incubator?

Also you need to calibrate your hygrometer. Put some salt in a cup of water so it looks like a slushy. About 1/2 cup of each. Then stick your hygrometer and your salt mix in a zip lock bag and let it sit for about 24 hours. It should read 75%. Don't let the hygrometer touch the salt mix.

 

[danielle82]

As I have nevr built a incubator, I can't answer that question.
On the eating fertilized question..most people can't see a difference. Just cook it up like a regular egg its fine. Every one else is doing it lol

 

[littledirtlane]

Thanks for the reply! You have to excuse my mess in my brooding room (Chicks have been having a ball in there with the pine shavings)...but the pictures are below. I have the little "incubator" under a heat lamp with a 120 watt bulb...

I did not calibrate my hygrometer oops, but it matches what my cheapy other thermometer says...you should have seen me on day one with the baby thermometer...lol...I am pathetic, I'm doing better now though. I bought a small incubator, should I move my eggs to that when it arrives or leave them alone? Also I have seen several threads about eggs being porous...is that the see-through little bubbles that I see on the shell?

Thanks so much!

 

[babsbag]

I can't see the pictures because I am at work and they block those things but I will look tonight.

A porous egg looks like it has polka dots all over it when you candle it. I think almost all my bantie eggs would have been considered porous, but they all hatched ok.

As far as moving them, it depends on how fast you get the incubator and whether or not you can get it stable as far as temp and humidity.

I look forward to seeing your pictures.