Oh No!! Panicking over hygrometer

[AAcres]

Hi everyone,
I bought a separate hygrometer for my incubator so I can keep a better eye on humidity rather than trusting the one on the incubator.
I purchased one that shows temp and humidity with a sensor that I can place in the incubator and it shows me the temp and humidity on a screen that’s outside the incubator.
Before I added my duck eggs I put the sensor inside the incubator and it was showing the same temp and humidity that was on the incubator screen. So I thought, this is great! All on the same page.

I added my eggs Thursday morning.My incubator is running at 48% humidity and around 99.7 for temp. I put the sensor in today (on top of the eggs) to check and the temperature for the sensor matches the incubator but the humidity shows 16%!!
I’m so worried now. I feel I can’t trust either. Should I be going by what the humidity on the incubator says since it matched before? Or by what the sensor is now putting out since I’ve read incubator levels shouldn’t be trusted??
So lost at this!

 

[JaeG]

You can calibrate your hygrometer and here's the article explaining how (at the bottom of the article): https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Double check and just in case I'd add a bit of water to the incubator in a small lid/cup. 16% is far too low and even if you are 'dry hatching' the humidity shouldn't go below 25%.

 

[AAcres]

You can calibrate your hygrometer and here's the article explaining how (at the bottom of the article): https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Double check and just in case I'd add a bit of water to the incubator in a small lid/cup. 16% is far too low and even if you are 'dry hatching' the humidity shouldn't go below 25%.

Thanks! I am doing this now.

 

[AAcres]

12 hours later and the hygrometer reading is only 64%. Not 75%. So my hygrometer is way off!

would I then put the hygrometer into the incubator and just add 11% to the reading it gives me each time?

 

[JaeG]

12 hours later and the hygrometer reading is only 64%. Not 75%. So my hygrometer is way off!

would I then put the hygrometer into the incubator and just add 11% to the reading it gives me each time?

Yes, that's the way to do it.

 

[AAcres]

Yes, that's the way to do it.

Thank you so much! You’ve been a huge help!

 

[JaeG]

You're quite welcome - that's what BYC is all about, and before long you'll be the one helping out those that need it.