# humidity stuck at 25%?



## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

my eggs should come in any day and my humidity is not going above 25%. i have done everything ive read. added more water surface area, increased/ decreased ventilation, etc. my temperature is doing great and is staying steady at 99-100 degrees Fahrenheit. any suggestions?? my eggs come in tomorrow!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How confident are you the instrument you're using is working? You can try putting it somewhere you know the humidity is high, like boiling water in the microwave until it's foggy in there. Then set instrument in there to see if it moves.

Or go pick up another one.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

robin416 said:


> How confident are you the instrument you're using is working? You can try putting it somewhere you know the humidity is high, like boiling water in the microwave until it's foggy in there. Then set instrument in there to see if it moves.
> 
> Or go pick up another one.


i will try that, thanks.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

robin416 said:


> How confident are you the instrument you're using is working? You can try putting it somewhere you know the humidity is high, like boiling water in the microwave until it's foggy in there. Then set instrument in there to see if it moves.
> 
> Or go pick up another one.


 it seems to be working fine, it must be something of my doing.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I can't imagine what it might be. Try putting a bowl of hot water in the bator, see what happens. 

It's going to be a trial and error thing.

What kind of incubator are you using?


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

i made my own, i got a large plastic bin and cut chicken wire into the top. what im thinking is that the chicken wire is letting all the humidity out so i should try to replace it with plexi glass or something of that kind. i found that when i put boiling water into the incubator it shot up to 50%, but i cant always have boiling hot water in there.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

when i put a towel over the chicken wire all that happened was the temperature went down because i have the heat lamp over the chicken wire. would the heat lamp penetrate through the Plexiglas? thats what im concerned about.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I need a pic. Chicken wire shouldn't affect it all. It also doesn't sound like something you want peeps hatching on though.

I'm wondering now if there is simply too much volume to get the humidity up enough. Or that your probe or gauge or whatever you're using is positioned too high.

I really need a pic.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I need a pic. Chicken wire shouldn't affect it all. It also doesn't sound like something you want peeps hatching on though.
> 
> I'm wondering now if there is simply too much volume to get the humidity up enough. Or that your probe or gauge or whatever you're using is positioned too high.
> 
> I really need a pic.


i will send a pic, but the eggs would be hatching on a towel, and the top has chicken wire on it.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

(its in a dog cage bc my dog and cats)


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's the plexi in that first pic? 

Two things, the water should be under the eggs to allow the humidity to move up to them. Being on the side, as you're seeing now, the humidity remains low. Can you put a shelf where the water pans are under the eggs?

Your hygrometer should be above the water too which is where a shelf above the water would come into play. 

You can use very fine hardware cloth or if you only have bigger stuff place a piece of screening over top of the wire.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Robin's idea of a shelf is a good one, you just have to make sure that the eggs can't rock and fall off the shelf and that the chicks can't fall down either or get their little legs/wings/heads stuck after hatching.
I'm sure that the hardware cloth is the problem with the humidity. Most people cut a hole the size of the neck of the bulb (they use a regular 60 or 75 watt bulb in this particular case) in the side or top of the container and seal it with any number of items like duct tape or caulk instead of the hardware cloth that you are using.

Here is a good example: http://theempoweredmom.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-make-homemade-egg-incubator.html


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The shelf would need to be fitted side to side. We both know if a chick can find a way to get into trouble, it will.


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## StonePISC (May 10, 2020)

this is what i have done so far, i will add screening over top the chicken wire so they cant fall through, im going to go around the perimeter with tape so there is no chance for them to cut themselves and im going to add the aluminum foil to the sides again to get my temp back up to normal. any other suggestions?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've got nothing right now until you test it to see how it goes. 

If Sylie stops by tonight she might have some advice.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I like it!! just follow through with your ideas of taping it off and putting the screen on the wire and then see how the humidity issue goes and you should be set! Good job!


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