Humidity need help...

[shangri-lafarms]

I have a brand new 2008 Little Giant incubator, I have had it on for 2 days and the temps are holding great, however the humidity seems to only be holding at 45%, I am new to incubating and I tried taking off one of the red caps to allow more air, then both, doing that drops the humidity even more.....This is a still air model, anyone have any suggestions

 

[Julie's Silkies]

Sorry cant help you, I bought the same one 2 wks ago
Mine is around 44-45 with one red cap out, I candled my eggs again toight and babies in them. So I must be doing something right.

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Well I can keep it at 40% or so, so what I am wondering is if that is enough

 

[Tuffoldhen]

45% is fine...I keep both the old incubator which is close to a still air made by Lyons and the newer 1583 Hova both between 40 to 50% humidity the first 18 days...

 

[rooster-red]

Try cutting a sponge up into pieces and putting it in the water tray to increase the surface area.

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Thanks for your help

 

[Tuffoldhen]

It's enough til day or the evening of day 18 then you need to up your humidity to 60 to 70%...Most of us add a wet sponge or clean wet washcloth or clean new sock to help raise the humidity...

 

[shangri-lafarms]

What do you do after day 18, when you are not suppossed to open the incubator, do you open it to add water if need be??

 

[Tuffoldhen]

On the evening of day 18 you can candle the eggs one last time and put extra water in the wells to get the humidity higher and or add the wet sponge, sock, washcloth......most people use a straw or rig some tubing up into one of the air vent holes or down thru the top to be able to add more water if needed into the wells...

When your chicks start to hatch the humidity will go up anyway from them pipping the shells and hatching out...so no need to worry usually after the hatch starts...

Hope that made sense to you...lol

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Yes it made sense...Thanks for all your input, I think I get it now, I am just wanting to make sure I Know what I am doing because i am putting in my eggs on Monday