Hygrometer?

[Sprinkles212]

John, I got it! Haha. Thank you for clarifying the humidity issue. I went to Walmart again and found a hydrometer and digital kitchen scale.

 

[kelly52862]

I purchased 3 of the temp/humidity digital gauges at Walmart at the same time. All of them show the same temp, but the humidity was 13% different between the high and low. There is one that runs about 6% off the high one. I calibrated them and none of them made it up to 75% in the bag using a coffee cup with salt and water. So even if you buy one new, calibrate it to make sure it is accurate.

 

[Sprinkles212]

Will do, Kelly. Thanks!

 

[jmc]

annoyingly, even the salt test doesn't seem to guarantee an accurate reading. but at least it can make one feel like one is doing 'his/her part'!

 

[Arielle]

annoyingly, even the salt test doesn't seem to guarantee an accurate reading. but at least it can make one feel like one is doing 'his/her part'!

Despite what the hydrometer reads, this is only a guide anyway. The real test is evaluating the eggs for either air cell development of weight loss. About 12% loss in weigh at day 18, I think; and the air cells must become very large.


Good general hatching info for a first timer. Has a diagram of an air cell. Good to copy and put with candler for air cell checking.

http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/procedures.html

 

[yinepu]

Despite what the hydrometer reads, this is only a guide anyway. The real test is evaluating the eggs for either air cell development of weight loss. About 12% loss in weigh at day 18, I think; and the air cells must become very large.


Good general hatching info for a first timer. Has a diagram of an air cell. Good to copy and put with candler for air cell checking.

http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/procedures.html

X2

you will find that the incubation humidity will vary between geographic location, time of year, and the particular room/home where the incubation is taking place.
people who live right next door to you may have a very different humidity reading in their home even though they are right next door simply because of things like water features (fountains, aquariums and so forth).. or air conditioner / heater usage differences

for example.. during severe drought conditions here in the summer when our relative humidity is 16 % or less I have to add water to the incubator to bring the humidity inside it to about 45% for incubation
but recently ..since our relative humidity has been around 75 % ( lots of wet spring weather) I am dry incubating with the hygrometer reading around 30% inside the incubator.. if I tried incubating at 45% right now the eggs would not lose enough moisture and I would end up with sticky chicks

so it's best to only use the hygrometer as a guide (also many of them can be wrong from day 1 or and need to be calibrated before each and every incubation)
for best results rely on weighing the eggs or by air cell size

 

[Sprinkles212]

I will weigh the eggs and do my best to monitor the air cells. I calibrated the hygrometer last night and this morning the results were that it is 4.5 points low. It's been in the room we will be incubating in all day. The room RH is 57. Should I dry incubate for the first 17 days then?

 

[yinepu]

I will weigh the eggs and do my best to monitor the air cells. I calibrated the hygrometer last night and this morning the results were that it is 4.5 points low. It's been in the room we will be incubating in all day. The room RH is 57. Should I dry incubate for the first 17 days then?

if I were you.. I would.. then monitor the weights and air cells and alter the humidity as needed


basically the eggs will tell you what they need.. so pay attention to them

 

[Sprinkles212]

How do I decrease humidity in the incubator? Buy a de-humidifier for the room?!

 

[Arielle]

How do I decrease humidity in the incubator? Buy a de-humidifier for the room?!

If your room humidity is about 57 now, you are unlikely to need a de-humidifier. Can you alter the ventilation? Increasing the ventilation will also cause your eggs to dry out more and thereby avoids the necessity of dehumidifier. My first time hatching in the middle of summer, I used dehumidifier, but the heat output from the portable unit caused the temps to rise in my LG.

You should do well to dry incubate with a room RH of 57.