Humidity way too high!

[abenardini]

So I got a hygrometer today and I put it in my incubator, at first it was saying that I was at 80% humidity. I cleared some of the water from the wells and it turned out to be about 4 ounces, But the hygrometer is still saying 77%. If I take any more water out it’ll basically be empty. Do you think this accurate, or do you think there could be something wrong with this hygrometer?
I’m on day 12

I know there is a huge page on calibration but the way I've always monitored to be safe is to use multiple readers in the incubator. I use those very same hygrometers from Amazon that you have (but have 4-5 of them in the incubator and never had any issue with results). If the humidity was only high for a short time, I would not freak out but open the plug if you have one in the incubator. I've historically done this through many hatches over the years in my genesis and never had soggy chicks or hatch issues holistically.

Hope the hatch turns out!

 

[abenardini]

Anyone else have any idea?

I would also remember that local humidity can be a huge factor. I'm in N. Florida and in the summer, our A/C has a tough time keeping up with the removal of moisture in the air. I often have to only add a tiny amount of water to the incubator to keep it within desired ranges. I hatch old school and do 40-50 (no higher than 60) for the first 17 days and in lock-down go to at least 70% but no higher than 80%.

I've had some short swings over the years where humidity has been excessive for short times, unplugged the plug in the incubator to let it dry out, replaced the plug, and monitored.

 

[TommieW]

I would also remember that local humidity can be a huge factor. I'm in N. Florida and in the summer, our A/C has a tough time keeping up with the removal of moisture in the air. I often have to only add a tiny amount of water to the incubator to keep it within desired ranges. I hatch old school and do 40-50 (no higher than 60) for the first 17 days and in lock-down go to at least 70% but no higher than 80%.

I've had some short swings over the years where humidity has been excessive for short times, unplugged the plug in the incubator to let it dry out, replaced the plug, and monitored.

Great feedback thank you! Yeah I just checked it again and both hygrometers are still hanging out right at 50%. That’s crazy to me there is not a single drop of water in there, I figured that with there being a lid or outside atmosphere wouldn’t interfere with the inside of the incubator I guess I was super wrong. Now I’m just worried that I’ve gone 13 days with the humidity in there being too high.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I dry hatch and my room humidity is already 50%. Try dry hatching to day 18, maybe since you had such humidity, maybe try dry hatching the rest of the way. If your humidity was very high, it may take a couple extra days to hatch.

 

[TommieW]

I dry hatch and my room humidity is already 50%. Try dry hatching to day 18, maybe since you had such humidity, maybe try dry hatching the rest of the way. If your humidity was very high, it may take a couple extra days to hatch.

Yeah I’m thinking that I don’t need to add water at all. I just hope they haven’t drowned already.

 

[aart]

Now I’m just worried that I’ve gone 13 days with the humidity in there being too high.

Have you checked the air cells?
Good to trace them on days 0,7,10,14,18.

 

[TommieW]

Have you checked the air cells?
Good to trace them on days 0,7,10,14,18.

Yeah they all have air cells but I haven’t marked them.

 

[aart]

Yeah they all have air cells but I haven’t marked them.

It's a decent way to track evaporation for humidity adjustment.

 

[TommieW]

It's a decent way to track evaporation for humidity adjustment.
View attachment 3170920

Okay so I just went in and marked the air cell on most of the eggs that I have in there. I took a picture you can kinda see it’s the penciled line on the bottom… Today is day 13
How do they look to you?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Wow that’s a lot thank you! I don’t really know what still air means but it does have a fan in there. And I just have the hygrometer on top of the eggs here’s a picture…

If it has a fan then it is not a still air. None of what I wrote applies. Darn I thought I had it.