I am currently setting up two new incubators I have made designed to hold temperatures within 0.2 f of the set point. That is done and they are working wonderfully. I have extremely accurate sensors I place in the egg containers that will right next to the eggs that records the exact temperature and humidity within 0.1 f and 0.1% RH. It records those reading every 1 minute and provides a graph of the results I download to excel for an exact readout of conditions over the entire incubation period in one minute intervals.
With this setup I am now questioning the best thing to do as far as humidity. Most successful breeders seem to favor the water / vermiculite 1:1 mix in a closed container with a few holes in the top of the sides. When I do that with these sensors in a simulated egg container using golf balls for eggs - I get nothing but a constant 100% humidity reading in the containers with the "eggs". There seems to be pretty unanimous consensus that no matter what medium you use - it is kept moist in the closed container holding the eggs. I cannot do that without 100% humidity.
SO - are we saying that 100% humidity in the egg chamber is what we are trying to achieve? When I read articles and descriptions of techniques that actually measure humidity, they all seem to suggest in the 80 - 90% range. some even lower. But none of the techniques I described above that most suggest for placing the eggs produces anything but 100% humidity.
I've always hatched eggs myself over the last two decades using the closed Tupperware style box with hole towards the top and a damp medium inside. Always had good success and high hatch rates. But never really put sensors inside before to actually MEASURE the humidity.
With my new setups I can control the humidity of the entire incubator to any humidity level I want. So perhaps it would be better control to use open topped egg containers and control the humidity that way. But what is the desired humidity then? Are we SAYING that 80% or so sounds good, despite most all of us seem to have been using a system that actually produces 100% RH?
Input / Comments please!
With this setup I am now questioning the best thing to do as far as humidity. Most successful breeders seem to favor the water / vermiculite 1:1 mix in a closed container with a few holes in the top of the sides. When I do that with these sensors in a simulated egg container using golf balls for eggs - I get nothing but a constant 100% humidity reading in the containers with the "eggs". There seems to be pretty unanimous consensus that no matter what medium you use - it is kept moist in the closed container holding the eggs. I cannot do that without 100% humidity.
SO - are we saying that 100% humidity in the egg chamber is what we are trying to achieve? When I read articles and descriptions of techniques that actually measure humidity, they all seem to suggest in the 80 - 90% range. some even lower. But none of the techniques I described above that most suggest for placing the eggs produces anything but 100% humidity.
I've always hatched eggs myself over the last two decades using the closed Tupperware style box with hole towards the top and a damp medium inside. Always had good success and high hatch rates. But never really put sensors inside before to actually MEASURE the humidity.
With my new setups I can control the humidity of the entire incubator to any humidity level I want. So perhaps it would be better control to use open topped egg containers and control the humidity that way. But what is the desired humidity then? Are we SAYING that 80% or so sounds good, despite most all of us seem to have been using a system that actually produces 100% RH?
Input / Comments please!