Humidity way too high!

[junior67]

I did the process where you wrap it in a wet towel for 30 minutes, and it should be at exactly 100% when you unwrap it and if it’s not then you just adjust a accordingly… This one was at 95% so it’s off by about 5%. It’s been back in the incubator for about two hours and it’s still saying that the humidity is 81% so adjusted that that would be 76%. At this point there’s pretty much no water in there so I don’t know what to do…

Oh I hadn't heard of that one at all.... So not sure how that works.

 

[TommieW]

Oh I hadn't heard of that one at all.... So not sure how that works.

This is from a cigar website

The Towel Test:
Dampen a towel (not dripping wet, but good and damp), then wrap the hygrometer in the towel for 30 to 45 minutes. Then unwrap it and read the humidity (quickly). If your hygrometer is perfectly calibrated (few are) it will be reading exactly 100% humidity. Most likely, it will be reading somewhere between 80 and 90%. At this point, whatever the hygrometer reads, you can either set the needle to exactly 100% immediately after the test, or if you're a little lazier, make a mental note of how far over or under the actual humidity is from the reading from your hygrometer.

 

[junior67]

This is from a cigar website

The Towel Test:
Dampen a towel (not dripping wet, but good and damp), then wrap the hygrometer in the towel for 30 to 45 minutes. Then unwrap it and read the humidity (quickly). If your hygrometer is perfectly calibrated (few are) it will be reading exactly 100% humidity. Most likely, it will be reading somewhere between 80 and 90%. At this point, whatever the hygrometer reads, you can either set the needle to exactly 100% immediately after the test, or if you're a little lazier, make a mental note of how far over or under the actual humidity is from the reading from your hygrometer.

I would try the salt test and see what it says. I don't see how it can be that high with out water in it unless the humidity in your house is crazy high. but i don't know much about hatching so more going by what I have read here.

 

[TommieW]

I would try the salt test and see what it says. I don't see how it can be that high with out water in it unless the humidity in your house is crazy high. but i don't know much about hatching so more going by what I have read here.

You’re right I’ll try that. I’m in north Mississippi The humidity outside right now at 8 AM is about 98%. And the house is also pretty warm…

 

[junior67]

@CluckNDoodle @aart who else can help with this?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I would run this incubator dry or very nearly dry. I haven't used that model myself but they're notorious for having humidity issues. I believe I remember someone using a soda bottle cap to put water in the incubator and that was it.
You'll still want to calibrate your hygrometer for accuracy but you really don't want the humidity that high during early incubation. You will end up with hatching complications.

 

[TommieW]

I don’t trust the hydrometer that I have, so I just went and got these. I wish that digital one was a bit smaller but I think it can fit in the incubator. Any one use either of these?

 

[Finnie]

I don’t trust the hydrometer that I have, so I just went and got these. I wish that digital one was a bit smaller but I think it can fit in the incubator. Any one use either of these?

I have used the Acu Rite hygrometer in the past. Mine is an older model so it looks different, but I would buy one again. I have also used cheap reptile ones from the pet store and they seem to be fine too.

But no matter what kind you have, you should test it (all of them) every year by the wet salt in a baggie method. Mine seem to be off by different percents in different directions every year.

My favorite kind is the round ones for cigar humidors you can get off Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XW9D6PP?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[TommieW]

I have used the Acu Rite hygrometer in the past. Mine is an older model so it looks different, but I would buy one again. I have also used cheap reptile ones from the pet store and they seem to be fine too.

But no matter what kind you have, you should test it (all of them) every year by the wet salt in a baggie method. Mine seem to be off by different percents in different directions every year.

My favorite kind is the round ones for cigar humidors you can get off Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XW9D6PP?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

yeah I'll test it, unfortunately the AcuRite wouldn't fit in the incubator...

 

[aart]

I don’t trust the hydrometer that I have, so I just went and got these. I wish that digital one was a bit smaller but I think it can fit in the incubator. Any one use either of these?

It's best to test any hyGrometer using the salt method.
Just buying another one isn't going to cut it.
Still, humidity isn't as critical as temperature.
All therms should be tested too....or buy one that has already been calibrated with a tight tolerance range.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/testing-calibrating-incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/