/ Register

  1. If this is your first time on BYC, we suggest you start with one of these three options:
    Raising Chickens Chicken Coops Join BYC
    If you're already a member of our community, click here to login & click here to learn what's new!

Question about humidity and amount of water to put in bator

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by minpinmama, Mar 17, 2012.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Mar 17, 2012 #1
    minpinmama

    minpinmama Chillin' With My Peeps

    132
    0
    99
    Dec 24, 2010
    These styrofoam incubators, LG and such, how much water should be put in the little water areas below?
    What is the best way to regulate humidity? Is it a matter of adding or taking out water?
    The new bator I have has a temp and humidity gauge but on it, it says
    'Reference only' when the thermometer that is build in reads 92 the inside one I placed in reads 99.5.
    The humidity reads 69 or 70% which from what I am reading is to much? (We're on day 8) If even that gauge is correct, I won't know until tomorrow when I buy one and add it.

    Any advice on regulating humidity is appreciated.
     
  3. Mar 17, 2012 #2
    Ridgerunner

    Ridgerunner Chicken Obsessed

    19,947
    3,105
    476
    Feb 2, 2009
    Northwest Arkansas
    You regulate humidity by controlling the water surface area. The depth of water in the reservoir does not matter, except how fast it runs dry. It's the water surface area that counts.

    To reduce humidity, fill fewer reservoirs. Leave some empty. Or you can cover part of a reservoir with aluminum foil or maybe Sarah Wrap to reduce the surface area.

    To increase humidity you either fill more reservoirs or you add a wick. Maybe put a paper towel or piece of cloth partly in the reservoir so you have some hanging out. It will soak up the water and give it more surface area to evaporate from.

    The reason they say reference only is that they are not very good quality and are undependable. You need to get decent instruments and calibrate them. These links might help.

    Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
    http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

    Rebel’s Hygrometer Calibration
    http://cmfarm.us/HygrometerCalibration.html

    I don't have an LG incubator, but the Hovabator I got had specific instructions on which reservoirs to fill for incubation and which others to fill during lockdown. Do you have the instructions for that model incubator? Or if you say which model LG you have, someone familiar with it may be able to give you more precise help.

    Good luck with it.
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by