Okay, so HOW exactly???

[scbatz33]

There is no great mystery to dry incubation. You simply don't add water. It's not a new person vs. experienced person thing. It's a fairly simple concept. Anyone can do it.

In a place where the ambient humidity stays relatively high, there is less need to constantly maintain water in the incubators because the air in and around the incubator has plenty of water in it. Places like where I live, in KY or other parts of the south, this works very well.

However, if you live say in Arizona, you would still need to add water from 1-18 because the ambient humidity is practically non-existent.

I still maintain a hygrometer in my incubators - I use Styrofoam ones btw - and my humidity with out water fluctuates some but usually ranges in the 30% level. This is more than adequate amount of humidity during the incubation part of the process.

The caveat here would be if you use a cabinet incubator that seals more readily, the ambient humidity may not be as much of a factor and thus water may be necessary to add.

Where people get into trouble is when they get up over that and especially into the 50 and 60% ranges during the first 18 days.

Again, this is why I say geographical location, time of year (summer has more humidity than winter here.) and type of incubator are very relevant to how you maintain your humidity.

Further, some people prefer hatching without water, some people want to hatch with, some people like low maintenance and some people are full on worry warts. How you hatch is your own personal preference and finding what works best for you and your location.

The "advice" I have given in this or any other thread is based solely on my trial and error process and I have found that with the kind of incubators I use and the place where I live, this is the method that works best for me and produces the best hatch rates.

What anyone chooses to do is their business. It doesn't make it right or wrong.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Quote:

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Uuuuhhh, excuse me? It most assuredly does have a very direct bearing on the humidity within the incubator itself. When we're talking the small, table top varieties of incubators especially, such as an LG, Hovabator, Brinsea, etc, where you live is very relevant to the humidity levels!

Example: I live in an area of Eastern Washington, considered to be high plateau desert country. Typical humidity levels in mid summer hover right around 12% or less. Spring, Fall and Winter typically see humidity levels around 40-45%. Rarely do we ever exceed 65% in the cooler months.

Our previous location of residence, on the other side of the state was the complete opposite of our current location. Under constant influence from the Pacific Ocean as well as the interior waters of Puget Sound, a typical summer day will be at humidity levels of 75% and upwards, on average. The same holds true for the cooler months as well.

I never had to add any water in the incubator while living in the Olympia area. Nor did any of my hatching friends to the best of my recollection. Now that I live in the high desert country, I am constantly having to add water to my LG circulated model incubator. Why? Because it's so freaking dry here! Operative word here being "DESERT"

So, I'm sorry, but you are very sadly mistaken in assuming that geographical location has no bearing on the humidity within a table top incubator. And folks, newbies especially, would be well advised to keep that factor in mind when monitoring the humidity levels within their own incubators. If your area is calling for precipitation or elevated humidity that day, or you're in for a prolonged dry spell, plan your adjustments accordingly.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
Uuuuhhh, excuse me? It most assuredly does have a very direct bearing on the humidity within the incubator itself. When we're talking the small, table top varieties of incubators especially, such as an LG, Hovabator, Brinsea, etc, where you live is very relevant to the humidity levels!

Example: I live in an area of Eastern Washington, considered to be high plateau desert country. Typical humidity levels in mid summer hover right around 12% or less. Spring, Fall and Winter typically see humidity levels around 40-45%. Rarely do we ever exceed 65% in the cooler months.

Our previous location of residence, on the other side of the state was the complete opposite of our current location. Under constant influence from the Pacific Ocean as well as the interior waters of Puget Sound, a typical summer day will be at humidity levels of 75% and upwards, on average. The same holds true for the cooler months as well.

I never had to add any water in the incubator while living in the Olympia area. Nor did any of my hatching friends to the best of my recollection. Now that I live in the high desert country, I am constantly having to add water to my LG circulated model incubator. Why? Because it's so freaking dry here! Operative word here being "DESERT"

So, I'm sorry, but you are very sadly mistaken in assuming that geographical location has no bearing on the humidity within a table top incubator. And folks, newbies especially, would be well advised to keep that factor in mind when monitoring the humidity levels within their own incubators. If your area is calling for precipitation or elevated humidity that day, or you're in for a prolonged dry spell, plan your adjustments accordingly.

Uhhhhhh excuse ME !! instead of reading only the first line in the paragraph, read the whole paragraph.. with an open mind.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Uuuuhhh, excuse me? It most assuredly does have a very direct bearing on the humidity within the incubator itself. When we're talking the small, table top varieties of incubators especially, such as an LG, Hovabator, Brinsea, etc, where you live is very relevant to the humidity levels!

Example: I live in an area of Eastern Washington, considered to be high plateau desert country. Typical humidity levels in mid summer hover right around 12% or less. Spring, Fall and Winter typically see humidity levels around 40-45%. Rarely do we ever exceed 65% in the cooler months.

Our previous location of residence, on the other side of the state was the complete opposite of our current location. Under constant influence from the Pacific Ocean as well as the interior waters of Puget Sound, a typical summer day will be at humidity levels of 75% and upwards, on average. The same holds true for the cooler months as well.

I never had to add any water in the incubator while living in the Olympia area. Nor did any of my hatching friends to the best of my recollection. Now that I live in the high desert country, I am constantly having to add water to my LG circulated model incubator. Why? Because it's so freaking dry here! Operative word here being "DESERT"

So, I'm sorry, but you are very sadly mistaken in assuming that geographical location has no bearing on the humidity within a table top incubator. And folks, newbies especially, would be well advised to keep that factor in mind when monitoring the humidity levels within their own incubators. If your area is calling for precipitation or elevated humidity that day, or you're in for a prolonged dry spell, plan your adjustments accordingly.

Uhhhhhh excuse ME !! instead of reading only the first line in the paragraph, read the whole paragraph.. with an open mind.

Au contraire, mon ami, I did read your entire post with an open mind. And in the interests of all fairness and maintaining an open mind, I read it again. After a second reading, even a third, of your egregious post, I maintain my position.

Your opinion that was offered as an engraved in stone fact is both erroneous and misleading to the novices of this forum, and has the potential to lead them to believe that their geographical location is of no consequence when it comes to monitoring and maintaining the humidity levels of their incubators. Perhaps it is you who needs to read a persons entire post before casting stones!

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Geography is a MAJOR part in how much you need to add water. Where I am, I fight to keep it under 40 and toss a wet sponge in to jack it up for hatch. I go 200 miles west, I am pouring water in daily to get to 25.