Humidity in Bator...EXCELLENT INFO HERE! EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS!

[ginbart]

Quote:
Ok, I will try that. I'm still waiting on eggs in the mail.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

i really do want to thank ALL of you for all the advice...I seem to understand Wheaties method the best and its makes the most sense. I am also very happy that you are so thorough with you explanations!! makes it much easier to understand...most people just say i incubated at 30-40% and it worked! no reason or explanation why lol

 

[flamingauburnmustang]

Wow. Wheaties, you are very informative.

Thank you very much for the advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Awsome thread! I just pulled the plug out of my genesis. The humidity has been stuck in the 50's. I'm on day4. I'll add less water. I was following the directions that came with it.

Thanks for the lesson.

 

[L*A*G*]

kryptoniteqhs, what do u do with all your eggs? (I looked at your signature)

 

[Suellyn]

Thank you & thank you! This has not only helped me come to a decision about humidity levels, but has also given me a great "jumping off point" for developing a kinda "incubation philosophy"... When in doubt, ask myself "What would MOTHER HEN do??". I agree a billion percent with LEARNING A SPECIES and understanding how/why they do things, has aways worked for me for figuring out animal husbandry & "problem solving"... I had a diabetic adult male mandrill (you know, those big baboon-ish looking creatures with bright red/blue faces & butts, and 2" fangs to boot!) under my care, who learned to allow me to give him insulin injections twice a day (thru the cage mesh!), in spite of their natural tendancy to be solitary and very "Alpha-minded" (would rather die than allow intrusive touching & "being controlled"). So figuring out how to motivate him WITHOUT knowing what/who he was woulda pretty much resulted in aggression, distrust, and death from uncontrolled diabetes!

Wheaties- You are like the "John Lyons" of chickens, a "Chicken Whisperer"

Thank you SO MUCH for your info!!!! It works well with the way my brain already works (if it decides to work at all

), and is the method I am using for this, my first attempt at incubation!

Jamie821- Thank you for all your info, too! And are you serious about trying a hygrometer under broody, or are you just "yankin' my yolk"?? In either case, that's awesome... !!

Ginbart- Did you get & set your eggs? If yes, then we will kinda be "hatch buddies", due around Jan 10th. Am going to start a thread to see who else is due near then. Hey, we are both from PA, too! Cool.

Ok, well wish me luck... Am trying the "Mother Hen" method

, BUT this is my first try EVER, so who knows? Will be thrilled to death if I manage just a few of my dozen on this attempt!!!

 

[geareduplyn]

What no one ever mentions in these humidity posts is how accurate their hygrometers are. Some of the cheap ones can be off by 10%. I have a portable digital that has been lab calibrated to +or- 0.5% that I use for spot checks. Incubate at 45%. Hatch at 65%.

 

[jvls1942]

gearreduplyn, that hydro you have sounds expensive.. where did you get it??

and what is hijacking??

 

[Wheaties]

I am having so much fun on this thread! Knowing Jamie821 as I do Suellyn, she is serious about that hygrometer under a broodie! She will give it a try you can rest assured of that. The fun part of it is that she will share with us what she has learned from it!
Geareduplyn has brought up a good point on the accuracy of our hygrometers. It is important to buy a good one and calibrate it according to the directions that come with it. Some good ones usually require soaking in salt water for calibration. The question still is not answered in will they be 100% accurate? Regardless of the hygrometer or what it cost, only the Good Lord in Heaven knows what the exact humidity is in any given area at any given time. I am quite confident that anything man made will give off inaccurate results at some point and time. Investing in several types of grometers and placing them both in the bator and in the room the bator is being kept in and then averaging the humidity somewhere in between all the grometers will probably give off the best result. This is just a thought as I usually do not pay much attention to grometers in that I panic if they are not at the perfect setting I want! Again, I never saw momma hen running around trying to figure out what the humidity was! LOL! I do not mean to sound argumentative, but I will repeat, HATCHING AT 65% HUMIDITY IS NOT THINKING LIKE A MOTHER HEN, BUT A MOTHER DUCK! As I said, not being argumentative! This is a free world and every one is allowed to have their own opinion.
By the way jvls1942, hijacking, I assume, is when someone tries to take over a post or thread and cause it to become a argument instead of a discussion. We gotta remember here, we are having a discussion and the topic is chickens. The important thing to me is that I am dealing with people while in this discussion. I will not intentionally try to hurt someone's feelings at all. I can agree to disagree if no one shares the same opinion as I do on any subject.
Everyone remember! Keep us posted on those eggs! By the way Suellyn, in describing that Mandrill, you reminded me of a girl I use to date! LOL! Just teasing! It sounds to me like you have a gift of understanding animals as well! Isn't it fun and relaxing to observe them and then be able to gain their trust? My chickens trust me and are easy to handle! I would not have it any other way!

 

[Wheaties]

By the way Brahampooter! Work on bringing that humidity on down to about 45%. Being on day 4 of the setting, I think you are going to be fine! Keep us posted!