Is my humidity too low?

[HannahZuni]

Hello I am in a locked down incubator just locked it down yesterday and my humidity is 59%, but there is condensation on the windows and I am worried that the humidity is higher than what is told. I have a Little Giant still air incubator and my temp is at 101.6 I do not know what to say and my chicks are suppose to start hatching Monday. It is my first time having chicks and I have a mix of eggs so I do not know what is what.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Condensation on plexi window is sure sign of more than enough humidity. When this hatch is over do a salt test on your hygrometer. If it's an incubator with integrated hygrometer then you'd need another small hygrometer to salt test then compare the two to calibrate. So in a nutshell nothing is good or trusted unless calibrated first. That means all those units with built in hygrometers are useless as you must purchase one to calibrate anyway....

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Plenty of links to salt tests but I'll put down what I do:

Fill milk jug cap or any cap with salt then add drops of water until saturated. I pour off any resulting standing water or add bit more salt.

Put salt cap and hygrometer into a sealed container and wait minimum of 4 hours. I use a zip seal quart bag and allow it to pillow with air before sealing.

A salt environment is 75% RH nearly exactly for all normal room temp ranges. Take your hygrometer reading and subtract from 75 for your calibration. Ex. your reading is 84 then 75-84= -9 you'd always subtract 9 from your reading for true RH.

Write the calibration on masking tape and affix to incubator as reminder. Low charge battery and so on can cause reading to change. I do a salt test each spring before hatching and after any battery change.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Condensation on plexi window is sure sign of more than enough humidity. When this hatch is over do a salt test on your hygrometer. If it's an incubator with integrated hygrometer then you'd need another small hygrometer to salt test then compare the two to calibrate. So in a nutshell nothing is good or trusted unless calibrated first. That means all those units with built in hygrometers are useless as you must purchase one to calibrate anyway....

Xs 2