Humidity too high in incubator

[shober]

I sort of have the same worry, I have 11 Bielefelders in and it’s day 5. The humidity seems to be high 70%. The vent in this Bator is tiny! is this too high? Should I worry? Haven’t candled yet, just let them set a bit then put them in.

 

[Kiraeh]

70% humidity is probably too high for day 5. Try to get it under 50%(your ideal number will vary depending on climate and incubator, if you're at high altitude get advice from someone experienced hatching at altitude). Candle them and check the size of the air cells in a couple days. Early incubation is important for moisture loss, you don't want to be having to make up for by running dry late when you can dehydrate the chick and you really don't want to have chicks drowning at hatch because of it.

 

[shober]

Thanks! I’ve got it down to 50% now. I think the key to this particular machine is to add very little water! It beeps if it goes below 39%.

 

[Catdog]

I’m not experienced by any means, but from all the reading I’ve done, I can tell you to look for vents on your unit. Look in your unit’s instruction booklet, or online if you don’t have them, and find where they’re located, and open them all the way. It’s harder to lower humidity than raise it. If you’re home is humid, it’s not gonna get much lower than the ambient humidity. Also, if you have any hatched chicks in there, that will raise it...expect that. Don’t remove the chicks though.
With the vents open, your temp control unit should compensate. What is the humidity reading?

74

 

[YochickyMama]

Thank you for answering! It is reading 77°. I was thing about using a turkey baster to suck some of the H2O out but was afraid the temp would lower too quickly.

You can always use a not used tampon. It will absorb the water and then you can either take it out and then put it back in when the humidity drops. That's what I have been doing and my humidity has been perfect this whole time. I honestly didn't know if it would work or not at first. But it is working wonders I live in Oregon so humidity has been tricky on this incubator. It kept wanting to spike so I was thinking how can I keep water in here but not too much a damp tampon is what worked like a charm. Sorry if this seems gross but it was brand-new in the plastic and I don't have to worry so much about it now that my babies are on the lock down phase. So try it what have you got to lose that way you don't have to drop the temp of your incubator by trying to bast water out of it. Just throw a tampon in there and pull it out once it has absorbed the amount of water that you wanted. If it's too much throw in two. Lol. I hope your babies come out God bless you and your clutch!