October Hatch-A-Long

[MrsFitzDarcy]

NEWBIE HERE!

I just started my first incubator set! I have a 14 Crested Cream Legbars, and 16 mix of Oliver-Egger and Black-Blue Splash Amerecaunas. Tomorrow I will add in the half dozen Wheaten Bantams and 4 Silkie eggs. Someone told me to put the bantam eggs in a day to a day and a half later.

I am using a Hovabator:



My dilemma I'd like help with:

I bought a thermomter/humidity sensor from Walmart. It has a probe, but the probe only measures temp, not humidity. So I wedged the thing in the window as above:


Sorry about the Celcius reading. The t op number is the probe temp, which is close to the floor of the incubator. The slits for the humidity reading are in the backside of the unit, so they are sticking into the incubator. I don't know where the thermometer is on the unit, so the "indoor" temp (bottom) is probably invalid.

So the probe temp is reading about 40C/102F, which is too high, right for when I put in the eggs today or tomorrow; however, the analog thermometer was only reading 94F. Which one do I believe?

And as for humidity, do you think I'm getting an accurate reading at the top of the incubator? With water in the bottom, the humidity was reading about 70%, so I drained the water and now it's about 52% as it says in the pic. How do I level out the humidity? I live in Tucson, AZ. It's monsoon season, so it's higher humidity than the rest of the year, but I can't imagine it will stay humid enough without any water in it, and I also don't want to be constantly taking the top off to add or drain water ...

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[AmericanMom]

NEWBIE HERE!

I just started my first incubator set! I have a 14 Crested Cream Legbars, and 16 mix of Oliver-Egger and Black-Blue Splash Amerecaunas. Tomorrow I will add in the half dozen Wheaten Bantams and 4 Silkie eggs. Someone told me to put the bantam eggs in a day to a day and a half later.

I am using a Hovabator:



My dilemma I'd like help with:

I bought a thermomter/humidity sensor from Walmart. It has a probe, but the probe only measures temp, not humidity. So I wedged the thing in the window as above:

I use a Hova Bator also, And believe it or not, I have the same Therm/Humidity sensor... and actually, that number (currently 52%) is your ambient humidity (room humidity) that's what I go by, I do not keep track of the humidity in the incubator.. never...


Sorry about the Celcius reading. The t op number is the probe temp, which is close to the floor of the incubator. The slits for the humidity reading are in the backside of the unit, so they are sticking into the incubator. I don't know where the thermometer is on the unit, so the "indoor" temp (bottom) is probably invalid.

By placing the whole set up into your incubator like that it is going to mess you up.. I promise, it will give you the reading at the top of the Hova bator, not down on the eggs.. Trust me.. put the unit on a table, stick the probe in the hole at the top ofthe eggs, it will cause you less stress... As long as your room humidity at lockdown stays around 50% trust me, you will be fine.. I have done my last three hatches completely free of measuring humidity and have the best hatch rates ever after lockdown.. 97,98,100%

So the probe temp is reading about 40C/102F, which is too high, right for when I put in the eggs today or tomorrow; however, the analog thermometer was only reading 94F. Which one do I believe?

In the still air until the temperature should be between 101.5 and 102.5... I like to keep it as close to 102.5 as I can, and I think the unti from walmart was the best IMHO

And as for humidity, do you think I'm getting an accurate reading at the top of the incubator? With water in the bottom, the humidity was reading about 70%, so I drained the water and now it's about 52% as it says in the pic. How do I level out the humidity? I live in Tucson, AZ. It's monsoon season, so it's higher humidity than the rest of the year, but I can't imagine it will stay humid enough without any water in it, and I also don't want to be constantly taking the top off to add or drain water ...

Again, I wish I could express to you because its wetter in Arizona right now your probably better doing a dry incubation. And yes, it will stay humid enough.. Read up if you want on the dry incubation method, some folks have had some real success throwing out the general rule book dealing with incubation and going "rouge" lol... It may not be for everyone and I hope whatever you do the best of luck, I just finished my hatch and getting ready to reset this week for another round

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[AmericanMom]

MrsFitzDarcy, Let me add.. Everyone has to do what they are most comfortable with, I need to be careful in stating what works for me will work for you, I can tell you that in the last 4-5 days we have been super dry, My room humidity was reading 34%... I did worry a bit at lockdown that this was to low so I plugged in my humidifier and got the humidity in the room to 50%... my hatch this time was 31/34


Whatever you decide, good luck!!!

 

[jamie7100]

Yes, I am! Yes, in my trials (with no eggs) I have had trouble keeping the humidity down ... and I live in the desert. This is my first time!

You would think that you wouldn't have issues with that in a desert. I took out the red vent plug and my humidity is now down to 54%. I think I will keep it out as long as the humidity stays stable.

 

[AmericanMom]

You would think that you wouldn't have issues with that in a desert. I took out the red vent plug and my humidity is now down to 54%. I think I will keep it out as long as the humidity stays stable.

Many of us leave them out 24/7... After being here for awhile and reading what those smarter then me were saying I put mine in a plastic baggie and they have been in a drawer ever since

 

[jamie7100]

Many of us leave them out 24/7... After being here for awhile and reading what those smarter then me were saying I put mine in a plastic baggie and they have been in a drawer ever since

That's great to know! I was wondering if that would be the case. I don't know why they didn't explain that a little better on the directions.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Is there a vent plug on the Hovabator?

 

[AmericanMom]

That's great to know! I was wondering if that would be the case. I don't know why they didn't explain that a little better on the directions.

I read about the babies getting oxygen and why use those vent plugs if it might decrease their oxygen supply... made enough sense to me to keep them out lol

 

[AmericanMom]

Is there a vent plug on the Hovabator?

They come with 2 red vent plugs, they go on the top... If you got yours used they could just have been lost.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Gotcha

Yes, I got mine used, and no, there are no plugs. Humidity was down to 35%, so I put maybe a quarter cup in of water in.. now it's up to 80%. Don't know what to do.

They come with 2 red vent plugs, they go on the top... If you got yours used they could just have been lost.