Little giant incubator trouble

[Kiki]

I bought these at Walmart

Pick up another thermometer or two too. The one about was maybe 2 bucks and I found it in the fish tank section of the store.

 

[Magicalflowers]

Thank you! Also what is better for the temperature of the incubator, slightly high or slightly low?

 

[Kiki]

Thank you! Also what is better for the temperature of the incubator, slightly high or slightly low?

I am going to have to say that it would be better for it to be slightly low if I had to pick.

 

[Kris5902]

Be careful it doesn’t get too high! That was my problem... humidity is relative to the surface area of the water, so it’s not how much water you have in the incubator wells, it’s how many of the wells have water in them. Also don’t line the mesh with paper towel because that can wick water up increasing the surface area and jacking up the humidity.

 

[Magicalflowers]

Be careful it doesn’t get too high! That was my problem... humidity is relative to the surface area of the water, so it’s not how much water you have in the incubator wells, it’s how many of the wells have water in them. Also don’t line the mesh with paper towel because that can wick water up increasing the surface area and jacking up the humidity.

Oh I have three wet paper towels in the corner just to get it a little higher up- would that be fine?!

 

[007Sean]

Okay thank you everyone I’ll try to get the humidity in order before lockdown

Get the Accu-rite brand of hygrometer, at Walmart.

ETA: I see where @Texas Kiki has already posted this....so ignore my post.

 

[Kris5902]

Oh I have three wet paper towels in the corner just to get it a little higher up- would that be fine?!

That works if they are a little wad... kind of like a sponge... Just don’t lay them out over the plastic mesh in sheets. When I finally got my humidity fixed, (not in time to save all my eggs, but 13 chicks made it, thankfully) I had little wet wads of paper towel under the red vent holes which I could add water to by droppering it down a straw. My climate is so humid I didn’t need the little wells in the bottom tray filled at all to keep the humidity up to an appropriate level. I just added a tablespoon of water down through the straw once or twice a day into the paper towel ball. I went a full week past my hatch date hoping for the eggs that didn’t make it to hatch before I gave up on them.

 

[Magicalflowers]

That works if they are a little wad... kind of like a sponge... Just don’t lay them out over the plastic mesh in sheets. When I finally got my humidity fixed, (not in time to save all my eggs, but 13 chicks made it, thankfully) I had little wet wads of paper towel under the red vent holes which I could add water to by droppering it down a straw. My climate is so humid I didn’t need the little wells in the bottom tray filled at all to keep the humidity up to an appropriate level. I just added a tablespoon of water down through the straw once or twice a day into the paper towel ball. I went a full week past my hatch date hoping for the eggs that didn’t make it to hatch before I gave up on them.

Thank you that’s very helpful!

 

[Kris5902]

I’ve only done the one hatch, and I wouldn’t call it successful. But I had high humidity problems only in lockdown, and wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone.

Look forward to seeing updates and chicks... everyone here gives good advice, and you’re asking the questions before you have a larger problem, which is a better start than I had.

Best of luck with your hatch!

 

[Chickassan]

If you're using paper towels just take the plug out and use a straw to wet them through that hole. I line mine with paper towels laid flat just so I can adjust humidty that way, my towels are flat not bunched because I use a turner. So you can line the mesh with towels and keep humidity stable if your bator is set up in a temp and humidity controlled environment. Mine is always in the living room, so no spikes except when eggs hatch but that is going to happen.