Humidity Level in Incubator?

[Ted Brown]

First timers; I have searched but seems there is no definitive answer?

We have 17 eggs started in the incubator, understand that humidity should be between 30-40%. Ours is mostly between 43-46%.

Will this create a problem?

Thanks

 

[007Sean]

First timers; I have searched but seems there is no definitive answer?

We have 17 eggs started in the incubator, understand that humidity should be between 30-40%. Ours is mostly between 43-46%.

Will this create a problem?

Thanks

You will be fine at that % humidity durning incubation. Increase the humidity to 55-60% at lockdown.

 

[Ted Brown]

How does one control humidity? I know temperatures go down at lockdown and assume that will help, add water?

 

[007Sean]

How does one control humidity? I know temperatures go down at lockdown and assume that will help, add water?

I wouldn't decrease the temp, and yes you control the humidity by adding water to the water wells it the bottom of the incubator. What brand of incubator do you have?
ETA - it depends on you're local conditions too, higher humid areas will add less water, drier areas add more...you'll just have to play around with it to find out what works best for you and your set up. There is no magic one shot answer or technic, mainly trial and error and you hope not too much error.

 

[Ted Brown]

"Eggubator" cheap, plastic, Asian. (Reviews herein not great).

We are in Quebec Canada, humidity now quite low.

 

[007Sean]

"Eggubator" cheap, plastic, Asian. (Reviews herein not great).

We are in Quebec Canada, humidity now quite low.

You will want to get a hygrometer and calibrate it (salt test calibration method). You will also need an independent thermometer that is accurate and preferable calibrated or can be calibrated too! Almost all the cheap incubators temperature and humidity sensors are highly inaccurate and unreliable.

 

[aart]

How's the incubation going @Ted Brown ?
Have you candled yet?

Here's show I test therms and hygrometers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

 

[Ted Brown]

How's the incubation going @Ted Brown ?
Have you candled yet?

Here's show I test therms and hygrometers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

We are on day 15 today, attempted to candle last night (missed day 7). Being newbies all we saw was "darkness", could not make out the air sack and also did not detect any odor that would cause us to discard so decided we would carry on and candle again day 17. Your note was timely as I was going to ask what we are doing that would result in seeing only darkness.

We tried with two different sources of light: the first was a floor lamb with a very intense, very hot bulb (easy to burn oneself and know to be careful not to cause any egg to heat up); the second a portable battery powered LED with low to high settings that we purchased to move the ladies after dark. We had cut a small hole in cardboard and did the looking in complete night darkness, no background light source.

We tested with an organic eating egg that sister brought with her (same source as eggs in the incubator) and saw tiny spots all over the egg with either of the light sources, none without so we thought we were prepared but, as I said, all we got was darkness throughout the egg. All eggs that came were assumed to be fertilized, the ones we incubated were chosen for shell color, temperament and laying success of the mother, divine intervention, etc.

We planned to candle all eggs, had pen at the ready to record. We ended up choosing 4 eggs - light, medium and dark brown and a blue.

We decided to carry on through day 22 regardless.

We did calibrate the temperature of the incubator with reference to a second thermometer inside the incubator but did not have a hygrometer to compare. The readouts on the incubator have remained at 37.5C (+/- 0.3) and 40-45% humidity. My sister who has watched more frequently than I (find a competent person and DELEGATE) says she has noted more temperature fluctuations within the above range in the last few days that the humidity level in those last few days has been 40 or 41%.

Any/all advice greatly appreciated.

 

[aart]

I use a bright flashlight that I can wrap my hand round it and the egg to block leaking light between them. Fat end of egg at light too see air cell.
Best done in a windowless room or well after dark....
...the darker the surroundings the easier to see.
(unless you shine the light in your eyes)

@Texas Kiki got some candling pics handy to illustrate what I explained?