Need help with humidity PLEASE READ!

[Time-Out]

Still air incubators tend to take on the ambient room humidity more than forced air. Forced air, I've found, tends to dry the air out. Try different rooms until you find one that is better. Where do you live? An alternate reason, could be because you had just washed the incubator?

For lockdown, do like you did with the sponges and lots of water, but close of some vents at the top. Warm, humid air rises, so you don't want it to escape.

The whole chick-hatching-produces-humidity thing is only valid if you're hatching a LOT of eggs or if you have a particularly small incubator. It's like saying a baby birth increases the humdity in the room. It does, but not enough to have much of an impact. Besides, the is always a flow in nature to equalise. Moisture is drawn out of the most moist 'thing' to top up that with less: the ambient air.

 

[chefchick]

It has been really humid here in NW Pa. The lowest humidity since I set the eggs was 48%.. I started with water in the #1 channel and the humidity was over 60% the first day- so I dumped it out and le tit go with no water- relying on the humidity in the air. Now I am really worried.... what would you suggest I do? Leave the incubator as is...or find a way to add more water? I dont see how I can at this point though... both channels are full and there are two big wet sponges in there. i will most def have a fan for my next hatch- or maybe even a better incubator. I am going to feel so bad if I kill these babies....

 

[bigoledude]

I wouldn't open and close the air vents to control humidity. I suspect that many of us have had poor hatches due to low oxygen levels in our incubators. Oxygen analyzers are expensive and I have never read here where one of our folks analyzes O2 content.

I would control "humidity" by taking "humidity" control methods, not air control measures. Possibly sacrificing oxygen in order to regulate humidity sounds kinda wrong to this old gasoline refiner. If your incubator is indoors with air conditioning, you should have a somewhat LOW humidity in your box. If not in an AC environment you are pretty much at the mercy of the surrounding ambient humidity. There are many post here explaining ways to raise humidity. The "Dry Hatch" seems to have gathered some interest here. Do a search. I think 90 to 100 percent at lockdown is much higher than most folks use.

My method of controlling humidity is a rag that's hung on a hanger-type wire. The rag "wicks" water from my reservoir. I run the wire from the hanger up through the top of the box so I can raise and lower the rag without having to open the incubator door. If I need more humidity, I pull more wet rag out of the reservoir like a sail. I never pull all of the rag from the water so as not to stop the "wicking". I direct the air flow across the rag to hasten the process. My reservoir is small in diameter but relatively deep. The small surface area allows me to maintain a low humidity if needed by lowering the whole rag into the water. The more humidity I need, I pull more wet rag up, increasing surface area.

I am gonna get an oxygen tester soon and will be able to comment with facts and not conjecture.

 

[Time-Out]

It will be interesting to see the results of your test. You'll have to post them up here.

 

[chefchick]

Thanks for all of your help, everyone. I feel sooooo stupid. My thermometer/hygrometer only has one humidy reading. I checked it against my indoor outdoor one again. The humidity registered the same as my INDOOR humidty... duh... slap my hand to my forehead a thousand times. So I put the whole thing in my incubator and the humidity went up to 75% within minutes. I took out the sponges. Humidity this am is at 79%. and, since the lid was already open, I HAD to peek at an egg...just had to! I didn't pick it up, but shined my light in by the air cell. I could see something poking at the membrane on the air cell! Like it was a little beak trying to get through. AND just before I closed the lid- my daughter and I both heard a tiny little peep peep! Good thing I had to leave for work... I would have done more peeking. If these chicks hatch, it gonna be a miracle. I have done almost nothing right.

 

[speckledhen]

Before you stress too much, read this thread about how we actually cracked up an egg on Day 13, dipped the crackled part in wax and finished incubating it on a heating pad, having NO idea about what the humidity was and with wild temp swings around the egg:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/682927/egg-incubated-on-heating-pad-from-day-13-to-day-20-hatches


Humidity can vary a great deal as long as it is not way high.

 

[ssollars]

Honistly i dont think humidity really matters! when i first started out my humidty was like in the 70s and when my 3 out of 5 hatched today the humidity was only in the upper 50s lower 60s...and a friend of mine when i asked her how much humidity she has in hers she said she dont keep track of it and she adds water then when she sees water on the glass she opens one of the holes til the water on the glass is gone..but like time out says depends on where u live and what temp ur home is at!

 

[chefchick]

Thanks everyone! I had 11 of the 14 hatch. All backyard blend, but very cute just the same.