Day 18 of incubation, having trouble stabilizing humidity!

[BeanSprout]

Hello!

I have been obsessively reading posts here for two months- when I began my first attempt at incubating eggs since I was a teenager (somehow had way more success then lol)

I currently have 5 chicks- 2 buffs (6 weeks), and 3 silkies (4 weeks)- that I purchased after a 0% success rate of incubating 8 silkie eggs. The farm I bought the eggs from reached out and sent 6 more eggs for free after discovering none hatched! I don't really need 11 chickens, but that is besides the point.

So here I am, mid day 18 of incubation. Lockdown began last night- exactly 18 full days after staring. I candled them yesterday morning and, unlike last time, they are all developing with decent air sacs. I did dry incubation, only adding small amounts of water when humidity went below 25, and hand turned them 3-5 times a day in an upright position. I've decided to hatch them upright as well (just tried to do everything opposite of the last go).

The problem I'm facing is that I can't seem to keep the humidity up. There is a vent hole in my still-air incubator that I've been adding water to, and it spikes up to over 80 (99 one time) every time I add water. I have two thermometers/hygrometers inside that read almost exactly the same. So last night when it spiked, I knew it would drop down after a bit so I left it. This morning it was at 30! I got it up to 77 before work, when I got home 6 hours later it was 30 again. What should I do? If I add more water than I have been I'm worried it will remain too high and then I can't open it to get water out. But obviously what I'm doing now isn't working. Any advice is appreciated, and please reassure me that the drops to 30 I've experienced at the beginning of lockdown haven't proved fatal for these little babes that I already love but definitely don't need None have pipped yet. Thanks!

 

[Pentatonchix]

@MGG

 

[TOR]

can you put some wet tissue or sponges in? I use sponges in one incubator because it does not hold humidity well and I also use towles over it
just a idea

 

[BeanSprout]

can you put some wet tissue or sponges in? I use sponges in one incubator because it does not hold humidity well and I also use towles over it
just a idea

Yes but I'd have to open it quickly, plus it wouldn't stay wet for the next 3 days so I'd have to rewet it, right? Also, would it in any way be an issue if it was in there when they hatched?

 

[K0k0shka]

What's the shape and size of the container or area where you're adding the water to? If it has a lot of surface area but is shallow, a lot of water will evaporate all at once (humidity spike), but will then dry up quickly as well (humidity drop). If it has less surface area but is deeper, it will evaporate more slowly, but will have a larger reserve so it will keep evaporating over a longer period of time before it dries up and the humidity drops.

What kind of incubator are you using? How many vent holes does it have? What I do with mine to be able to add water without opening the incubator is I put a small jar (baby food size) of water with a sponge in it, with part of the sponge sticking out of it and the rest in the water. Then I snake a piece of aquarium tubing down through one of the vent holes and into the jar. So I can add water through the tube (with a large syringe or a condiment bottle) without opening the incubator. The sponge provides more surface area than the mouth of the jar itself would, but since the jar is full of water and the sponge keeps wicking it up, it has a nice reserve of water so it doesn't dry up quickly.

 

[TOR]

Yes but I'd have to open it quickly, plus it wouldn't stay wet for the next 3 days so I'd have to rewet it, right? Also, would it in any way be an issue if it was in there when they hatched?

Do not know what incubator your using.
On my little giant which is not the best of incubators I rewet the sponges if needed, I have 6 smaller sponges. Mine are under the screen which the eggs sit on and I use a baster or a turkey injector to rewet the sponges. I take the top off actually to rewet my sponges. It is not as critical as you think.
Sometimes I heat the water before rewetting sponges instant humidity. Just depends where I am at during hatching or incubation.
I could not tell you if having sponge or tissue would interfere with your hatch as I do not what incubator you use. As long as it does not interfere with the heating element or the chicks should be fine.
As the chicks hatch your humidity should rise with the moisture and the chicks drying. It is at this point I may even open the incubator to release humidity so the chicks can dry and 80 to 90 percent humidity is to much. I do open for long time just enough to release some of the humidity.