⠀ DRY INCUBATING

[duluthralphie]

Help! Humidity only up to 38% with all channels full of water, what to do? What to do? Not really room for a wet sponge in there....room humidity is 60%+, IDK why it's not getting wetter in there, but the directions say NEVER TO OPEN THE INCUBATOR TILL DAY 23!!

Drop a little water through the vent holes.

 

[WVduckchick]

@AmyLynn2374 can help! Where are you girl!

 

[WVduckchick]

Help!  Humidity only up to 38% with all channels full of water, what to do?  What to do?  Not really room for a wet sponge in there....room humidity is 60%+, IDK why it's not getting wetter in there, but the directions say NEVER TO OPEN THE INCUBATOR TILL DAY 23!!

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? With channels full and that much local humidity, 35 sounds very unlikely. What kind of Bator? And do you see any moisture gathering on windows? If you do, its too humid.

 

[elorraine52]

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? With channels full and that much local humidity, 35 sounds very unlikely. What kind of Bator? And do you see any moisture gathering on windows? If you do, its too humid.

1. How does one go about calibration?
2. It's an LG.
3. No, no moisture on the windows.
4. I could squirt water into one of the vent holes, but have a paper towel placed under the eggs (to try and cut down on the mess) so cannot reach or see where the channels are. Still reading 37%, room humidity 65%, outdoor humidity around 100%. I tried switching the two thermometer/hygrometers with each other thinking one may be different, but after time to change, the other one reads the same and vice versa. Anyway, tonight is day 20, so just waiting and wondering. This is my first hatch with a fan installed, if it doesn't do well I may go back to the still air, had pretty good hatch last year with it.

 

[WVduckchick]

Sorry no one else is responding. I have been busy with my hatch, so haven't been on much.

How are things going?

There is a salt test to calibrate a hygrometer. I'm typing on my phone, so if you could google it, or search this site, that would be great. If not I can explain.

I don't know much about the LG, I'm sorry to say. I know its kinda late now, so I hope your hatch progressed well.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? With channels full and that much local humidity, 35 sounds very unlikely. What kind of Bator? And do you see any moisture gathering on windows? If you do, its too humid.

I agree. If your water channels are full you should have more than 38% unless you live in a very dry and arid area. Now, for opening the bator, first off, the most important thing is to have a safe range of humidity for hatch so if that means you have to open the bator to get it there, that's what you do. The idea of not opening the bator is to preserve the humidity and keep it from dropping. Opening the bator carries a small risk when the eggs have pipped or are zipping because if you don't have adequate humidity the dry air or sudden loss of humidity can cause problems. If you have your humidity at a safe level (above 65%) during hatch, opening the bator carries a slim possibility of hurting anything. I know a lot of hands off people probably disagree or don't like me saying this, but I frequently open my bator with no ill effects to my hatching chicks. I also keep my humidity up to 75% during hatch. So while not opening the incubator is a good precaution, it does not mean that anything bad will happen. You should not be afraid to open the bator if you need to, providing your humidity is up there. And if your humidity is low you should not hesitate to do what you need to to get it back up there.

As for your problem, I'm not sure what to tell you if there is no room to stick a wet sponge or cloth in the bator. That's my key to high humidity is my sponges in the bator. I have recently read that salt highers humidity (makes sense considering how you check hygrometers,) but have not tested it myself or heard of others using it. I do plan to run my bator here soon just for the purpose of testing the effects if I put salt in the water wells with the water.

Hygrometer testing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/285284/calibrate-your-hygrometer-two-methods

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Since I was directed to this thread, I just want to clarify a little about "DRY" incubation. Dry incubation is NOT always completely dry. As a matter of fact there is a such thing as too dry. A better description of dry incubation is "Low Humidity Iincubation". You still need moisture in the bator. Many users have switched to dry or low humidity incubation methods in the styro bators because it works. On the average users who have accurate thermometers/hygrometers and a fairly steady temp for the incubation and do the dry method in conjunction with monitoring the air cells have better hatch results. 50% humidity in these bators have a higher average of drowning the chicks and compromising hatches because the egg is not loosing enough moisture.

I, personally have been having great hatches and that is in an old little giant incubator. My chicks are healthy and strong from hatch. No leg/foot problems. My hatches hatch out w/in 48 hours start to finish.

I only run completely dry if my bator holds humidity above 25%. (There are other's that will go lower.) (Depends on season and heating requirements for the house.) If it doesn't hold above 25% I add a wet sponge that will usually hold it at 30% ish. At LOCKDOWN, you still need to follow standard lockdown practices. Those chicks need humidity before they start hatching. Yes, hatching does provide some of it's own humidity, but you don't usually see much of a difference until the first egg is actively hatching. The chicks need that moisture from humidity when they pip and while the are waiting to zip to keep the membranes moist and to keep them from drying out and glueing the chick to the exposed membrane.

The method I use can be found here and (I think) provides an understandable explanation to humidity and how we control it and monitor it.
http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

 

[elorraine52]

Hatch not going great so far, only 2 have hatched, I can see several that have pipped but not yet zipped. I've been squirting water in and humidity goes up temporarily to 70+, then back down. I will try a sponge, but I think it's a lost cause...too dry.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hatch not going great so far, only 2 have hatched, I can see several that have pipped but not yet zipped.  I've been squirting water in and humidity goes up temporarily to 70+, then back down.  I will try a sponge, but I think it's a lost cause...too dry.

Is the paper towel drying out because of the heat and keeping the water below it from giving an accurate reading? Just a thought. If you have pips and a couple have hatched, something must be working. I have to think your hygrometer is wrong.
Let us know what happens, please

 

[elorraine52]

will do, but the paper towel was dry all of the first couple of days, until they started pipping, and I added water b/c none were progressing, then the 2 hatched today (day 21).