Humidity Problems!!!

[shelleyd2008]

I just moved my quail eggs to the hatcher yesterday. I have tried everything to get my humidity up, short of plugging every hole in the thing! I have 4 different bowls of water with sponges in there, and it is still only around 45%!!! What else can I do to bring it up? I put paper towel in the floor, because these are buttons and texas A&M, and they're on 1/2" hardware cloth. I don't want them to get their legs stuck in the wire!

 

[hippichick]

I'm pretty sure the paper towels are keeping your humidity level from coming up. I did that once and had the same problem. I removed the paper towels and my humidity went right up.

Paula

 

[Sharisr32]

I have never used water to hatch quail so you may still get a good hatch ---

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
But what else can I put in there to keep their legs from getting stuck? These are buttons and cortunix, and I know the buttons will be small!

 

[hippichick]

I know some people use the drawer liners. They have tiny little holes in them, so it doesn't interfere with humidity, I would think. It comes in rolls. You should be able to get it at Wal mart. I've bought it at Linens n Things.

Paula

 

[flagday76]

I would think that the tacky rubber shelf liner would work well. From experience using the stuff (in my brooder, on the shelves, etc.) DO NOT use the color red! If it gets wet, the color tends to run. A good trick to keep it from shifting around in the incubator or anywhere else is to use athletic tape to tape it along the edge to the wire. Be sure to use the cloth-like tape. It also works well to cover the sharp edges on the wire if there are any. It is water proof, sticks well to the wire, and is easily removed if it gets dirty. Just make sure none of the side with the adhesive is exposed or it will stick to little feet, feathers and beaks.

 

[Akane]

Screen door mesh, fine hardware cloth, layers of cheesecloth.... I just walked through walmart and found dozens of things that would have worked. It's not that hard to find something with small enough mesh to lay in the incubator. I went with screen door mesh. Very fine, very easy and cheap to get, and easy to cut and fit in the incubator while still being pretty sturdy.

Dry papertowels will only absorb and lower moisture. Wet paper towels though will give off moisture.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Wet paper towel might help actually. I have the eggs in the plastic quail cartons they came in, so the wet towels wouldn't soak the eggs, just the chicks. I thought about making wicks, between the bowls, with paper towel, but I was worried about the eggs getting wet from the towel on the bottom. But that's why I have the water on top of the screen! I have water in bowls underneath, but was worried about their little legs.
I would need to take the chicks out fairly quickly, though, if the towels on the wire were wet, right? I would think they would stay wet? Maybe not...

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
Grab the non slid shelf liner, Works great !!!! Walmart has it and sometimes the dollar store does !!!! If you have either around you !!!! Cost about $3.00 I would think the wet PT would keep the chicks from drying out and could make them cold and cause more problems than good!!!!!

 

[ginbart]

Do you have one of those, everythings a Dollor Store around you? You can get the non slid shelf liner there also.