Need help hatching in Brinsea

[kennedyscochins]

You're right. There is just a temp alarm. I thought I had one set for humidity too, but there's not even one on there. I do have the foam pad that goes in the tray. My problem now is that I went into lockdown yesterday. I had the humidity set at 68%. I filled the troughs in the bottom just to keep the pump from kicking on constantly. But, the humidity will not get past 54-56% even with the pump running. I have had to open the incubator a few times to moisten the white paper inside at the top just to get the humidity high enough. I don't like opening the incubator because I'm afraid I will shrink wrap the chicks. How do you all get the humidity high enough for hatching? I know the pump is working because it kept the humidity where I set it for the first 18 days. Do you think I have already shrink wrapped the chicks? I am just so confused as to why i'm having so much trouble at lockdown when this incubator has been perfect so far!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dogfish]

Small container with a carwash sponge soaked in water got my humidity right up where it needed to be.

 

[kennedyscochins]

Just thought i would give an update. I had 21 eggs in incubator at lockdown. I currently have 17 chicks, one is still hatching and one died trying to hatch. I have two eggs that I don't see any pips or hear any chirping from. I am assuming they died but I'll give them a little longer. What would have caused the one to die after it had zipped halfway around the egg? I did have to open the bator because there were so many chicks in there that they were stepping all over the other eggs. But, I misted the eggs with water and made sure not to let the humidity get down. Was it just a weak chick or something I did? Either way, I am at 17 (possibly 18) out of 21 eggs hatched! I am very happy with that and would definitely recommend this incubator. Now that I know how to get the humidity up, I won't have to keep opening the incubator to add water on the next lockdown. Maybe I'll get 100% hatch! or at least close to it!

 

[Kelly G]

Quote:
I may have missed your post, but what did you finally do to raise the humidity?

 

[LaurenM23]

^ same question! I haven't used my Brinsea yet, so I appreciate the info in this thread.

 

[DanEP]

I just finiished my first hatch with a BRINSEA ECO 20. I had the same problem with the humidity on lock down ,it woudn't go above 45-50 so I added a sponge under the vent and found that a Turkey injector will fit thru the vent allowing water to be added as needed to keep the humidity up to 60-65 without opening the bator.
It must be that we have the heat on now because humidity wasn't a problem before then. The temp was rock solid tho and seemed to work ok we hatched 8 out 11 eggs. Hope this helps.


Dan








Edited for fat finger typing skills.

 

[Kelly G]

Quote:
Where did you add the sponge? I don't understand - under what vent? How did you feed the turkey injector through what vent?

 

[kennedyscochins]

The incubator came with white paper looking things (I don't remember the technical term). One goes under the hose where the humidity pump goes in the incubator. I used two other ones and folded them in half long ways and put one in each trough where you fill water in the bottom of the incubator. These kept enough of the water soaked up to raise the humidity. Once one egg pipped, I had no problem from then on. I now have 19 of 21 chicks. The other two died trying to hatch.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

I have the Eco model and keep my humidity up by cutting a kitchen sponge (new one) in half and putting it in the wells beneath the tray. Also I threaded some aquarium air tubing through one of the vent holes that dropped down into one of the wells. I would add water with a syringe through the tubing.

 

[Kelly G]

Quote:
What "vent holes?"