I can't get the humidity up in my incubator.

[HR Patterson]

It is day 19, I have removed the turner from my styrofoam still air bator and put my 36 eggs in cartons with the holes punched out of the bottoms. The humidity has been a steady 45% for the first 18 days. I thought this might be a problem when I started because I have had both water channels full from the beginning and was wondering what I was going to do to raise the humidity. I did not have the bator open for long while switching them from the turner to the carton. When we switched them I added 3 sponges with water in them. I have not been able to get it over 55% for any length of time. I use a small sprayer to spray a mist into the bator, but that will only get me to 60% at best then it comes back down to 55%. I have a humidifier going in the room full time and can't get the room above 40%. I'm starting to wonder when NEPA became such an arid place. Anything else I can do to try to get the humidity up. Should I switch to a forced air for the next hatch? Thanks, HR

 

[sewchick]

Wow that seems like a lot of water. Is your gauge working right? I only filled one channel and the top window pane was covered with droplets.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Do you have room for 1-2 small pans? The ones I have in mind are plastic and came with Stouffer's apples in them. They are really shallow but allow lots of surface area for evaporation. Also every time you open the bator, you let out all your humidity, so consider placing your sponges directly under the vents so you can wet them by sticking a syringe through the vent instead of opening the whole top. I add an ounce or two of warm water every 3-4 hours by syringing the sponges. Also I keep my humidifier right next to the bator and turn it up high.

Hope something here is helpful.

Rusty

 

[HR Patterson]

My guage is working right, it has been right on for a long time. I don't have much water vapor forming on the glass either, I would think with all that water in there that I would. There is no room for pans because the entire bottom that is not open water channels is water filled sponge. Thanks so far!

 

[Smoky73]

Plug the air vents or at least one of them. If you open it once a day for a few seconds you will sufficently add new oxygen to the bator. Seeing you cannot get your room humidity above 40% you are essentially letting the dry air into the bator which is counteracting everything you atr doing on the inside.