Spent $900 on Brinsea incubator....how do you control the humidity...?

[mustang56]

Please tell me how your humidity works on your incubator...
as in how do you get the humidity to go up...?
Can you set it and it regulates itself to stay at that humidity setting...
or do you add sponges or bowls of water...?
I'm not very happy with Brinsea.... unless I can find out all others work the same as Brinsea...
The highest I can get humidity is 62%....(keeping all vents completely closed)
Now they have a place to set humidity to whatever you want...lets say 72%.....but it won't go to that, and unit
tells you that you need the pump... which is another $130.00 (which you were not told nor suggested to buy
in order for this unit to perform properly).
So when you go to set the humidy.... after choosing 72%, your then informed you need the pump...
Problem there is.....a person on internet bought the pump and said it made no difference...he still couldn't
get humidity to rise above 60% ... Which made sense to me because the container that holds the water
can only be filled so high.... you CANNOT get any more water in it....! You can set a sponge on top but that's it.!
Seems to me that Brinsea... should of added two containers to hold water....?
They are now telling me to add more sponges... Where....???
Now if I do that....the sponges will have to be placed on top of eggs, or down in the area you hatch..
There is no other place to put them...unless they are glued or taped to the walls...
I had to add 2 pie tins of water in order to get the humidity up to 70%
now that's placing a pie tin in the area of where you incubate your eggs on the turner!!
which if you have eggs there, there would be no room for pie tins...lol
I'm just not understanding all the trouble I'm having getting the humidity to go up to 70% after
spending $900.00 !
My temperature in the room ranges from 65 to 77 degrees... it's usually about 70 in here...
right this minute at 9am in the morning its 69 degrees.....in winter it will be about 65 degrees.
Any suggestions or helpful hints will be greatly appreciated...!

 

[Quyen Le]

62% is plenty. On day 18-21, I use 55-60%. When the eggs start hatching the humidity will automatically going up without any effort.

 

[madamwlf]

Why do you need the humidity up that high? I hatch fine at 62%. My Dickie only has one container for water and 2 holes that can be used to vary the humidity level. You don't want to close the holes completely since you need some ventilation.

 

[mustang56]

Well almost everyone I know on BYC hatches silkies on 65% to 70% and sometimes higher...
The Brinsea company itself said by calling them on the phone......that it should be at 70% to 75%....
Even the Farmers Innovation incubators suggest at least 65% ....
So you only use 62% and how are your hatches and what chickens do you hatch...?
Thanks for your info =)

 

[Quyen Le]

Many starts at 70+ humidity but later reduce to 55-60% humidity for better hatch.

 

[FrogDoc]

Regardless of what you technically need, if you purchased something that doesn't do what it's supposed to, I'd call the company and complain!

 

[mustang56]

I'm with you!.....that's what I'm trying to do.... I've made 3 calls....and even with all they have said.....humidity won't go past 62% ....
Thankyou....have a great weekend =)

 

[Silkie horsechick]

I have a little knowledge. . MUST HAVE BRINSEA MULTIFACETED SPONGE - fits in the tray.

also, there is a screw or something you can take out on the slide to get more air tight seal for high humidity.
I just taped over all but one hole with the slider closed for lock down.

Call them or email them. they can offer explanation on screw removal.

Even though the slide is all the way shut, it still allows a space for air and there is a spacer to take out. .
Again, I chose not to alter mine.

I love my Brinsea by the way. .I swear it can hatch a rock!

good luck.