egg incubator - temp too high, humidity too low!

[CherokeeRose]

Hi I have just set up my first incubator, home made, using a tutorial online. I was going to leave it a day or 2 for it to settle before I put my eggs in. Tutorial says I have to keep tempt between 98 and 101 farenheight, optimal temp being 98.5, and keep the humidity between 55 - 70%.

The incubator has been set up for a few hours and the temp has rocketed to 117 farenheight but the humidity is only 30%. I have a bowl of water with a sponge in the incubator. The tutorial says to bring down the temp you can punch a hole or 2 in the styrofoam - but how do you make the humidity higher?

 

[chrismahon]

Humidity is correct at 30% for first 18 days. Last three days stop turning and raise to 60% which can be done by increasing the surface area for evaporation, usually with a small piece of sponge or cloth or a second water bowl. Has it got a calibrated thermostat and how are you measuring the humidity and temperature Rose?

 

[CherokeeRose]

I have a digital thermometer which has a humidity reader in it too. Sorry being a bit blonde here but how will I increase the surface area? The bowl of water I have in it now already has a sponge in it.

 

[Marigold]

It's a good idea to use more than one thermometer, and for at least one of them to be a special one for incubators, as sometimes the readings can be off with one of them.
Could you spread a bigger damp cloth over the floor area? Don't worry about the humidity in the early stages, Chris is right, what you're getting is fine - many chicks die in shell from too high humidity at the start. But you're right to try working out how to get it up much higher when theyre ready to hatch.

 

[dinosaw]

Surface area is all about breadth rather than depth, so a thin wet cloth spread over the whole of your incubator will provide more humidity than a deep pool of water that only covers a small portion. Chris is spot on though, you don't need extra humidity during the first days of the hatch, it will often drown the chicks, only increase it during the last 3 days of the hatch

 

[foxy]

Where is the incubator situated? The polystyrene incubators are more susceptible to ambient temp and humidity that double walled or cabinet incubators. In addition the higher temp will reduce humidity inside the incubator.