Incubator question: This is my very first try at hatching

[mondotomhead]

I've been running the incubator (without eggs in it) for approx 12 hours to test it and the temp is holding at 99.5. Yeah! However, my hygrometer is registering 65 in the humidity field. I've read it should be 45-50 for the first 18 days. (INFO: This is an incubator with a fan and the bottom of the incubator has "wells" for the water. I also have an automatic egg turner. )

I've read about how to make the humidity higher but how do you lower it? I'm assuming you'd take out the water or at least some of it but the "wells" in the bottom and in an "H" pattern and would be impossible to take out part of the water.

Any suggestions?

 

[dbcooper02]

In the styrofoam incubators I have seen there are 2 or 3 separate wells so you can tailor the humidity to suit. If a single well is all you have you can cover part of it with foil to reduce the amount of water surface available for evaporation. That should bring the humidity down.

 

[mondotomhead]

Thanks so much. Will do

 

[redhd077]

Did you calibrate your hygrometer? If you haven't i would suggest doing that first. it can make a big difference ( I'm reads 11% lower that it really is). I do mine every year.( I have the same type of bator). You can google it or you can find it on here too. its pretty easy.

 

[mondotomhead]

I thought the hygrometer was already calibrated. I'll Google how to do it. That may be my problem. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[tjohn]

I use a hypodermic needle to add warm water through the vent holes to raise the moisture level without removing the top, so you could use one to take water out. If you remove the top the moisture is going to drop anyway. I'm new to this too, sure don't want to sound like a know it all. Good luck