New to Incubating with Little Giant 6200 with Auto Eggturner

[CONTONHOOTCH]

We plugged in our incubator this morning. The instruction book did not say anything about what the humidity inside the incubator should be. Can anyone give me any advise on this.The instruction book also did not say if you were to put something (instrument) inside the incubator to measure the humidity or how exactly is someone supposed to measure the inside incubator humidity!

Can anyone tell me what the humidity should be during the process from day 1 thru day such and such and so forth?

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I just bought a new cheap one and am going to try to incubate too. It's a little giant but that was what was in the budget. No fan, no turner. I'm home all the time so I can turn them. I won't forget...it is this big white box that will be in my way. I will buy a hydrometer.

I suspect humidity recommendations are a lot like the advice you get when your plants turn yellow...you watered them too much, or you didn't water them enough.

I read about the differences between wet and dry incubation and am going to go dry and depend on the ambient humidity. I think there are more problems with too much rather then too little. I'm going to aim at 35-45 the first 18 days, and higher for lockdown.

 

[Doc Henry]

I have 4 of the styrofam type incubators they are cheap and work well for the money, the best is a gqf because it holds the most water. It is really hard to get humidity high enough during hatch but you can add a wet sponge and it works well. These incubators don't hold much water so you will have to add daily. They are tough to clean so if at all possible get one of the plastic trays that fit in the bottom they are well worth the few bucks. For about 20 bucks radioshack has computer fans that will turn them into forced air models, but they dry out faster so you really gotta watch the water. I used hygrometers at first but found that there wasn't much I could do about the humidity any how so I just keep water in them and hope for the best it really hasn't affected my hatch rates in the past. I just upgraded to a cabinet and they are also well worth the cash if you are going to hatch alot. They are much easier to use and you have alot more control over temp and humidity. My biggest problem is that I operate everything at max capacity and keeping up with the chicks flowing out is a chore. Good luck and have fun.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Just for kicks I checked the ambient humidity here and today it is 95%, and I can assume it is that under the hen in the coop sitting on her eggs...right?
Another assumption is that the heating element in the incubator will reduce humidity...but that it would never be zero.
I'm thinking that too high is worse then too low...is that right?

I think I'm going to stick with dry and monitor the ambient humidity, and up in in lockdown and see what happens.
I'm thinking Doc that in TX your ambient humidity is lower then mine is in rainy TN...