Humidity issues

[Countrywife]

I set some eggs in the incubtor yesterday. Found out my themometer was off by 10 degrees which explains why nothing made it last time.

So, the temp is fixed and holding steady around 99.4 or so. Occasionally dips to about 98.7, ususally when I am adjusting humidity.

My humidity jumps. I get it up to 55 (right now it is at 60) and it will be ok, but in a few hours it drops to 30-35. I have tried the sponges, I am using the resvoir. Problem is, I work. So if it drops 4 hours after I put the water in the bator in the morning, no one can get here to do anything about it for a few hours.

Help please, I want this batch to work. And yes, I calibrated the humidity meter I got at walmart, just as the board suggested.

 

[kidsmaw]

Is it the Acu-Rite thermometer/hygrometer that you are using?

 

[kathyinmo]

I guess everybody does it differently. I incubate at 35%, then hatch at 60 - 65%. Some say it depends on your area, altitude, etc.

 

[Countrywife]

Any other ideas? Thanks to the two that did answer me. First timer, I don't know what it should be other than what is in the chicken for dummies book, but that doesn't give me any advice for regulating it.

 

[kidsmaw]

I ask about the hygrometer just in case I can keep you from making the same mistake I did.

I thought the probe measured the humidity on my hygrometer and it's actually the unit itself that measures (bought mine at Wal Mart, noticed that you did also, so that's the reason I ask).

So the whole time I thought the humidity was spot on, the humidity in the room where the unit was setting was spot on. When I learned that it was the unit itself that measures (not the probe) I put the whole thing into my incubator and my humidity was at 80%! Live and learn.

 

[kidsmaw]

Also, what kind of incubator do you have? And what's the humidity of the room you are incubating in?

 

[Countrywife]

I don't know what the unit is called, but it is digital, and the whole thing sets in the incubator. I have a Little Giant 9200, with a fan and an egg turner. I don't know the humidity of the room, I am in Carolina and in the last three days we have had a range of 40 degrees to 80. Air here is usually rather humid, I am an two hours from the Atlantic Ocean. I did put the furnace on in the house this week when it was hitting 40, today it is 80 again.

 

[kidsmaw]

Goodness! No wonder you are having trouble stabilizing.

I wish I could help. I am at a loss. My incubator is a Little Giant still air, so I may have been able to offer a few suggestions if yours was the same.

Hopefully someone who knows what to do to help you will chime in. Best of hatching luck to you. For what that's worth.