➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[eddie_van_quailen]

Quick question for you all... My house tends to run at ~50% humidity normally, but since I let the incubator run dry it's running at about 20-25%. Is this too dry? I can only assume the difference from ambient humidity is due to the fan inside the incubator. I know there are a lot of believers in dry hatching here, but I don't know how dry is too dry. When I open the incubator to candle, the humidity shoots up to 30-35%, which would frighten me less, but then it quickly drops back to ~25% after being closed.

 

[Nabiki]

Quick question for you all... My house tends to run at ~50% humidity normally, but since I let the incubator run dry it's running at about 20-25%. Is this too dry? I can only assume the difference from ambient humidity is due to the fan inside the incubator. I know there are a lot of believers in dry hatching here, but I don't know how dry is too dry. When I open the incubator to candle, the humidity shoots up to 30-35%, which would frighten me less, but then it quickly drops back to ~25% after being closed.

30-35% is probably about ideal. I've found that up here at higher elevations lower humidity during incubation is better, but higher at lockdown (up to 65-70%).

When I lived in P-town my ideal was around 30% humidity during incubation and up to 50-60% was best at lockdown.

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

30-35% is probably about ideal. I've found that up here at higher elevations lower humidity during incubation is better, but higher at lockdown (up to 65-70%).

When I lived in P-town my ideal was around 30% humidity during incubation and up to 50-60% was best at lockdown.

Okay, that's what I thought... unfortunately, during testing, the smallest surface area water pool provides 50% humidity for ~3 days. I did this on day 0, and then let it run out and didn't add more, so the average humidity so far is 31%, but currently at this moment it's 20%. Maybe I'll try the sponge trick. Thank you!

 

[007Sean]

Just add enough water to bring the humidity up to 30 - 35%, it's really not that hard to control the humidity.
Is the incubator in an air conditioned room?...this will lower the ambient Rh in the room!

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

Just add enough water to bring the humidity up to 30 - 35%, it's really not that hard to control the humidity.
Is the incubator in an air conditioned room?...this will lower the ambient Rh in the room!

I closed the A/C vent, so it's not air-conditioned, and since our outdoor humidity has been ~70% in the mornings, I open the window to get some fresh humid air in there every day.

BUT... I am also a doofus, and the tray I thought was the smallest was actually the largest Surface area, not size, send me back to 9th grade geometry! So I filled the smallest tray, let's see what that brings us up to.

EDIT: Oh, and the small vent plug is open to allow for exchange of air. I will close it when they start to pip.

 

[R2elk]

I closed the A/C vent, so it's not air-conditioned, and since our outdoor humidity has been ~70% in the mornings, I open the window to get some fresh humid air in there every day.

BUT... I am also a doofus, and the tray I thought was the smallest was actually the largest Surface area, not size, send me back to 9th grade geometry! So I filled the smallest tray, let's see what that brings us up to.

EDIT: Oh, and the small vent plug is open to allow for exchange of air. I will close it when they start to pip.

Do not close the vent plug. They need more oxygen while hatching than at any other time.

Control the humidity by controlling the surface of the water. More surface area = higher humidity, less surface area = lower humidity. Never use the vent to control humidity.

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

Do not close the vent plug. They need more oxygen while hatching than at any other time.

Control the humidity by controlling the surface of the water. More surface area = higher humidity, less surface area = lower humidity. Never use the vent to control humidity.

That makes sense! OK, I will not. I've read so much conflicting information the last few months

Adding water to the smallest well has brought the humidity back up to 41%. I suppose that's the lowest I can make it with water in it, unless I try with a sponge.

 

[R2elk]

That makes sense! OK, I will not. I've read so much conflicting information the last few months

Adding water to the smallest well has brought the humidity back up to 41%. I suppose that's the lowest I can make it with water in it, unless I try with a sponge.

A sponge typically increases the surface area.

Some people use jar lids for their water. They keep trying different size lids until they find the one that gets the humidity right for them.

 

[Nabiki]

Okay, that's what I thought... unfortunately, during testing, the smallest surface area water pool provides 50% humidity for ~3 days. I did this on day 0, and then let it run out and didn't add more, so the average humidity so far is 31%, but currently at this moment it's 20%. Maybe I'll try the sponge trick. Thank you!

You could try adding a shot glass filled with water to the incubator. That adds some humidity but has a small enough surface area that it doesn't add much.

 

[007Sean]

I closed the A/C vent, so it's not air-conditioned, and since our outdoor humidity has been ~70% in the mornings, I open the window to get some fresh humid air in there every day.

BUT... I am also a doofus, and the tray I thought was the smallest was actually the largest Surface area, not size, send me back to 9th grade geometry! So I filled the smallest tray, let's see what that brings us up to.

EDIT: Oh, and the small vent plug is open to allow for exchange of air. I will close it when they start to pip.

What brand of incubator are you using?
If it's the standard foam type (Harris Farms Innovator, Hovabator, Little Giant, etc, with 2 small red vent plugs, I leave both of them off. I usually only have to add a tiny bit of water, once a day to keep the Rh up to where I want it. Mine are in a AC controlled room and kept at 80°F.