humidity question

[housensual]

Hi all

This forum is SUPER!

Got my first incubator, Brinsea Mini Advance, and I put in my first (quail) eggs, 11 eggs...

Humidity should be from 45% to 50%, but I get over 50%, app 54-55%, and I didnt even put water in the reservoir...

Is this harmfull or ok?

Need some advice please

Regards
Alain

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Where are you located? That's high humidity for a dry incubator. Try calibrating your hygrometer with a salt test. Many links here on how to do it. Basically make a salt paste with water in bottle cap then put that with hygrometer in ziploc bag. It should read 75% exactly in 8 hours. Adjust it or remeber how far it's off for accuracy.

That will put your mind at ease about humidity and how accurate your gauge is. I don't think a bit higher or going for a dryer hatch matters much in the beginning. It's the last 3 days where the humidity is crucial during lock down. High humidity to prevent shrink wrapping the chicks in membrane.

Good Luck.
I'm on day 12 of a hatch too.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
this is good humidity for game birds I run mine just a little higher then this depending on species of the quail I just hatched 15 out of 15 on coturnix when hatching gambles I do not have the RH quiet as high might behoove you to ask over on the quail board there is a bit more experience with game bird hatching over that way.........


for most species of quail I run 50-60% @ lockdown I run as much as I can get 65% ++

 

[housensual]

Thanks so much for the quick answer!!!

I'll do some looking up concerning the hygrometer, but it's good news that %RH has not to be so very accurate in the beginning.
Thing is also that I'll have no problems then in getting the %RH up during last couple of days...

Extra question: can the %RH be a bit higher in the beginning for other kind of eggs (chicken, pheasant, etc)?

PS: I live in Belgium, cold and wet during the whole year

Alain