Humidity help

[Alitown4]

I need some tips to try and keep humidity stable in my incubator. I'm using the LG w/fan and egg turner. I have a hydrometer (from WalMart) that when I did the calibration test with a cup of salt water in a plastic bag overnight - it read 68%...so I'm thinking it's 7% off. I can get the humidity up in my bator but can't seem to get it to stay there. This AM I added some water to the wells...it went up to 41% and then this evening it's down to 16%. Temp seems to be OK running between 99 and 100. I opened the bator a lot yesterday trying to work with the humidity and I hate to be opening it all the time. Any suggestions? Today I only opened it in the AM to add water. I have one plug in and the other out. I also tried a wet paper towel but humidity very quickly went high so I took it out. I am wanting to try to keep humidity 30 to 45% or no more than 50% up until lockdown then I will raise it. I'm on day 4 of this hatch and this is my first attempt at hatching chicken eggs...I hatched duck eggs a few weeks ago and got 3 out of 7 (not a good rate) and with no hydrometer I learned that my humidity was too low. Can anyone share suggestions on keeping humidity stable to this newbie? Thanks! I really appreciate it!

 

[phoenix912]

If you have enough room in there try using the short mason jars with a half a sponge in it. If humidity goes to high remove the sponge. If you still have to much try a shot glass. Make sure you're giving it time to stabilize before you make another change.

 

[Alitown4]

Thanks for that suggestion. I don't have enough room for the jar because I have the egg turner in. I do have room where I can add a sponge so I just tried that. What I did was; rinsed the sponge really well (as I wasn't positive how new it is - looked clean -but probably been used once) with clorox cleep up and warm water then rung all the water out - so it's damp but not wet. Does that sound OK? I will go check the bator in a bit and see what that does to the humidity level. I imagine it will up the humidity - which I don't need it to do as I can get it up - but hopefully it will keep it from dropping off so quickly. I will be trying the jar idea at lockdown. Thanks!

 

[phoenix912]

I have never hatched duck eggs. From what ive read they need higher humidity then chicken eggs. So even if it was to low for duck eggs doesn't mean its to low for chicken eggs. If humidity jumps to high try removing the other plug instead of water. Keep an eye on temp though. You might have to adjust it a little higher.