My humidity keeps dropping

[momma's chickens]

I have the hova-bator incubator with the fan and my temp is great, but the humidity keeps dropping down to about 40% and then I had water it goes to 45 - 50% and within a couple of hours it drops again. This is only the second day so I have no idea if I am doing this right. I have been reading all the great threads on here about incubating and hatching. Also is there a way to check if your eggs are fertile before you put them in there? I don't mean the eggs you are going to incubate but your chicken eggs in general.
Thanks for answering all these dumb questions from a newbie.

 

[serendipity22]

Hi There,

You'll get lots of responses about humidity. However, I have the best success when it cycles from 40 down to 20 and then adding water again.

What type of hygrometer are you using? The Wal-Mart types don't ever seem to be accurate (for me, anyway) and they run high, meaning that the humidity might really be 60% and it tell me that its 40%...

 

[momma's chickens]

Thank you for answering my post. I picked up a temperature looking thing at Petco that reads the percentage of humidity. I am not even sure if that is the right thing to use. I added water and now it back up in the 40s.

Is there a way to check fertility of an egg? I mean eggs that aren't in the incubator but that you just got out of the coop?

 

[serendipity22]

only if you crack it open and look for the bulls eye...

If you've got a roo with somewhere between 6 and 12 hens, then it's a pretty good guess that they're fertile. (unless your rooster is too old or too young)

Along the 10th day that they've been in the incubator, you can candle them. Don't do it before the 10th day and if you've got clear eggs, then toss them...

 

[CA Bean]

Yeah, seems to be a million different answers to humidity. I am in the same boat as you with the Hovabator Genesis. I keep having to put a straw through the top and adding more water when it gets to almost low 30% or high 20%. I did add a piece of sponge which dries out quickly. I am trying to keep mine 40%-50% range. I am on day 6....

Anyhow if you do a search on humidity it seems many have diff answers for this. Some say %35-47%, %30-40%, 35%, 42%-48%, 40%-50%, Some say never to add water until it goes to 25%... and the actual learning center on here says %50..so?? I am doing mine between 30%-50%. I hope I have a good hatch.