Regulating temp throughout incubator

[HD GMA]

This is my first time incubating eggs. The incubator I borrowed is very large. Fan and heater in the top of it and it has two trays that turn eggs side to side. The temp gauge is at the top in the same area as the heater, fan and water. It reads 99-100*. I bought a new combo temp/hygrometer and placed it at egg level and at that point the temp reads 89*. First question = should the egg level temp be at 99.5. Or do I risk too high heat by changing it. Second issue = eggs have been in bator for 7 days. I am having problem with too much humidity. I have changed the size of water bowl several times and today, it is down to a coffee cup. The humidity has been 70-80%. Any suggestions?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

This is my first time incubating eggs. The incubator I borrowed is very large. Fan and heater in the top of it and it has two trays that turn eggs side to side. The temp gauge is at the top in the same area as the heater, fan and water. It reads 99-100*. I bought a new combo temp/hygrometer and placed it at egg level and at that point the temp reads 89*. First question = should the egg level temp be at 99.5. Or do I risk too high heat by changing it. Second issue = eggs have been in bator for 7 days. I am having problem with too much humidity. I have changed the size of water bowl several times and today, it is down to a coffee cup. The humidity has been 70-80%. Any suggestions?

Not sure what you are asking temp wise. The thermometers with the batrs are often wrong. You need a good calibrated or at least checked thermometer. (I use three in my bator.) It should be 99.5 throughout the bator. As for humidity, if the humidity is that high chances are you will have chicks drowning. That percentage is great for lockdown/hatch, but not for the first 17 days.
I would remove the water and run dry. Check your air cells and see if there is any growth and if they are any where near where they need to be at day 7. I run dry the first 17 days as long as my bator holds at least 25% dry, if it doesn't I put just enough water in it to keep it around 30%

 

[HD GMA]

Thanks. I candle the white ones today. The air sacks are small and some may not have an air bubble. I marked the ones I can see. That's the first time I have read run it dry. I will do that. I bought a temp/hygrometer the is for a reptile cage, and that's the first I new of the temp difference. I will try to find another thermometer. Thanks for your help.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks. I candle the white ones today. The air sacks are small and some may not have an air bubble. I marked the ones I can see. That's the first time I have read run it dry. I will do that. I bought a temp/hygrometer the is for a reptile cage, and that's the first I new of the temp difference. I will try to find another thermometer. Thanks for your help.

Dry incubation (during the first 17 days) is becoming more popular, especially for those using styrofoam bators. Many people that have had not so good hatches have switched to dry incubation and have increased their hatch rates. You still need your humidity to be over 25% in the bator, but often this can be achieved dry or near dry. This next hatch I will have to add a bit of water because we are using a pellet stove for heating and that really dries our air out, but I'll only add enough water to get around 30%. The important thing though is to monitor the air cells so that if they start growing too big too fast you can higher your humidity. My last hatch I was able to run dry and maintain an average of 40% in my bator. I hatched 13/16 and the hatchers were nice and active soon after hatching. No sticky spots either.

 

[mark steele]

temp should be 99.5 to 100 from the top to the bottom of the bator and humidity 55 to 60

 

[AmyLynn2374]

temp should be 99.5 to 100 from the top to the bottom of the bator and humidity 55 to 60

Humidity is not a set number. Different levels work for different people. Personally I feel 55-60% is too high for the first 17 days and I elect to go dry if my bator stays above 25%, if not I'll aim to average 30-40%, but I monitor my air cells for certainty in regulating it.

 

[HD GMA]

Ok I found another temp/hygrometer. And another thermometer (that makes 4). I'm pretty sure that temp is close to 99*. I have had the door open a lot. So I will let it rest a while I also made a water wiggler for the upper thermometer. Now to find a couple more hygrometers. So I know if it is correct. One reads 40% and one 10%. It can't be easy. LOL. Thanks. I'm sure I will be asking for more help later!

 

[HD GMA]

Thanks for the reply. My humidity has been very high (80-90%). Maybe I can dry them out a little.

 

[ochochicas]

My guess is that your hygrometer is not working. I bought one that read 80 - 95% all the time and I know it was not accurate. Now I weigh all my eggs and don't worry so much about what my replacement hygrometer says. they should lose approximately 5% of their initial weight every week. If they aren't losing enough weight, then the humidity is too high.

If your incubator has any kind of plugs in it, you should take them out to produce more air flow and it will drop your humidity.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My guess is that your hygrometer is not working. I bought one that read 80 - 95% all the time and I know it was not accurate. Now I weigh all my eggs and don't worry so much about what my replacement hygrometer says. they should lose approximately 5% of their initial weight every week. If they aren't losing enough weight, then the humidity is too high.

If your incubator has any kind of plugs in it, you should take them out to produce more air flow and it will drop your humidity.

I still watch my humidity percentages, but I monitor my eggs air cells to know. I am so much more relaxed now than I was before I understood humidity and tried to maintain a certain number. I wish more people understood the why's to humidity and either did the weighing or air cell monitoring to adjust, it's so much less stressfull. (Much less stressful...that just doesn't sound gramatically correct...lol).

I also leave my vent plugs open for the duration of incubation.