Lockdown

[CHICKENFARMER22]

It's lockdown day for me today. I just put my eggs on lockdown. I have a Little Giant 9300 still air incubator. I have an accurite hygrometer in there. I filled all 6 water trays and it only say humidity is 53%. Does it take a few hours for it to go up? Is the hygrometer junk? Or do I really need to add more water?

 

[PD-Riverman]

It's lockdown day for me today. I just put my eggs on lockdown. I have a Little Giant 9300 still air incubator. I have an accurite hygrometer in there. I filled all 6 water trays and it only say humidity is 53%. Does it take a few hours for it to go up? Is the hygrometer junk? Or do I really need to add more water?

It will probably be tomorrow before it will stabilize. Did you add warm water or straight out the spiket?

Keep in mind your humidity is controlled my water surface---not by depth. so adding more water in the same 6 holes would not help unless the area gets wider/longer/more water surface. I would think all 6 would make the humidity to high. Check it in the morning and see what it is reading---but if you are still up reply back with the answer to above question.

 

[CHICKENFARMER22]

It will probably be tomorrow before it will stabilize. Did you add warm water or straight out the spiket?

Keep in mind your humidity is controlled my water surface---not by depth. so adding more water in the same 6 holes would not help unless the area gets wider/longer/more water surface. I would think all 6 would make the humidity to high. Check it in the morning and see what it is reading---but if you are still up reply back with the answer to above question.

Thank you! Yes, I added warm water.

 

[CHICKENFARMER22]

What do I do if the humidity is too high?

 

[PD-Riverman]

What do I do if the humidity is too high?

If the humidity is to high you have to lesson the water surface----but if the bottom trays are getting low---then I would only refill certain ones and let the others dry.

Is this your first hatch? You should always test run your incubator without eggs but with the turner running---if you are using a turner--only fill one void in the bottom and let it run a few hours---see what the humidity is---if it needs to be higher fill another one and let it run a few more hours---get the humidity right---make notes which one/s you are using---let it run for several hours or more making sure its stable. Now go into lock down mode----remove the turner(if using) add water to another void----let it run a few hours check the temp---it usually drops after removing the turner because the turner motor gives off some heat---might have to tweek it. Keep filling voids one at a time allowing it to run a few hours until you get the humidity at what you want it for the hatch----take notes on which ones have water----now you are ready---retweek the thermostat and only fill the voids you wrote down to start---let it run about a day---if its stable----add your eggs(do not readjust the thermostat for atleast 24 hrs---then you should not have to---but if you do need to---only a touch and NEVER leave it until hours later---meaning keep checking it every few minutes to make sure it is stable. Only fill the voids you had wrote down for the first 18 days----when you go into lock down----you will already know how many extra to fill and if you are going to have to tweek if you remove the turner.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

What do I do if the humidity is too high?

If there's no condensation don't worry about it. Not at hatch time anyway. It needs to be at least 65% for hatch. If you have all the wells filled, I have a hard time believing you haven't at least hit 60-65%. Even with low humidity in the house (only 16%) filling the trays brings mine up past 60. I add an extra wet sponge at egg level because I prefer 70-75%. I'd be surprised if that hygrometer was right. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours, not even, for the hygrometer to level out with the humidity. I use an accurite combo as well and within a half hour after entering lockdown it has stabilized for humidity. The temps will take a little while longer to stabilize with the addition of water.

 

[Jessicx]

If there's no condensation don't worry about it. Not at hatch time anyway. It needs to be at least 65% for hatch. If you have all the wells filled, I have a hard time believing you haven't at least hit 60-65%. Even with low humidity in the house (only 16%) filling the trays brings mine up past 60. I add an extra wet sponge at egg level because I prefer 70-75%. I'd be surprised if that hygrometer was right. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours, not even, for the hygrometer to level out with the humidity. I use an accurite combo as well and within a half hour after entering lockdown it has stabilized for humidity. The temps will take a little while longer to stabilize with the addition of water.

I know this is an old post, but I have a question concerning the comment "as long as there's no condensation". My lockdown humidity is set around 75%, but there is condensation. Does this mean it's too high?

 

[WVduckchick]

I know this is an old post, but I have a question concerning the comment "as long as there's no condensation". My lockdown humidity is set around 75%, but there is condensation. Does this mean it's too high?

A tiny bit of condensation is ok, but you don't want the entire window fogged up and dripping. A few random spots of condensation here and there are ok.

 

[Simone Van Eijck]

In reply to the original question, it's possible that your humidity wasn't as high as you needed. So, assuming that:
-humidity is, as stated previously, is influenced by water surface area, but ALSO by air flow and temperature. Temperature is static, so we can ignore it for now. As an aside, some comments in this thread about condensation: remember room temp vs inc temperature will cause it too, and I think it just muddies the water, so forget about it as an indicator.

When I get your sort of problem, I place one of these square spongy thin kitchen cloths in the incubator, with a corner pegged into a shallow dish of warm water. It'll ensure a huge surface area, and has taken my humidity rapidly to above 70% (used it as a rescue when my humidity kept falling during pipping). Once your % is too high, you can lower it by controlling airflow.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

If your incubator has a lot of condensation the air is very moist. Extremely moist air is not really what you want the chicks breathing in.