Lockdown Checkin - Humidity

[Shelbysoobs]

I had trouble with temp variation between the inner and outer rings on the NR360, even though it goes in a circle the inside ring is warmer than the outside ring, I ended up hand turning my second batch and moving eggs around the hatching floor every so often. Now I’m using a cheap Chinese bubble incubator and the humidity control is ridiculous, I have 2 bottle caps from a 20 oz soda bottle with water and it stays at 74 percent through lockdown with nothing in the reservoir. I have 10 quail eggs pipping right now, hopefully this works! Hope your hatch turns out!

Do you have to refill the caps or do they stay full during lockdown? I’m trying to avoid opening the lid and wasn’t sure if those methods would keep humidity for 3 days.

 

[Shelbysoobs]

I've never had to add sponges but I've heard of using a small one in a Dixie cup but don't soak it too much as if a chick hatches and knocks it over an accident could happen.

I used to fill A totally, then trickle some into B. B would run out so fast so this became a 3X a day job. If I filled B, I ran into your issue so only did that once and never filled B again. You could try it your way and let A dry out and fill up B too I think and just see what that does. If it's not enough, then you could trickle into A.

Thank you!!! I am going to fill A and trickle into B as soon as I get the water more evaporated. I’m sitting at 74 right now with B almost dried up LOL. I was maintaining 50-55 pretty easy with A so I really only needed a LITTLE bit more, live and learn ugh

 

[Shelbysoobs]

Clock just turned from day 18 to day 19, no cheeping yet so I assume no internal pips? I’m hoping that doesn’t mean they’ve already pipped and drowned.. regarding viability I had 4 super certain eggs and 2 hopefuls, 1 possible quitter… so I’m assuming 75% humidity isn’t enough for them all to have drowned 3 hrs into day 19..

 

[Shelbysoobs]

I used the shop vac to suck the water out of the reservoirs without opening the lid, immediately added water to A, my humidity is in range now and I’m watching it closely to adjust as it regulates over next few hours.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Just to help you stress a little less, I dry incubate, days 0 - 18 at 30% or less, and did a drier hatch this year at 45 - 50% humidity for lockdown and my chicks didn't have a problem with the humidity that low at the end. Going up to 80% can turn the remaining albumen into glue, so imo if anything try to keep it on the lower end cause it will go up when they start hatching.

 

[Susan Skylark]

I fill the lids a couple times daily, just crack the lid enough to insert a 35 ml syringe and add water, also gets some fresh air (no vent!), but humidity doesn’t drop below 65 even doing that.

 

[Shelbysoobs]

Aaaaand right back where we started at 75… turns out the shop vac just caused temporary dip in humidity

 

[Shelbysoobs]

2 external pips, no cheeping humidity dropped to 40 overnight and now trying to get it back up