Next Steps (First Time Bobwhite incubation)

[openseason]

My eggs (24) have been in my homemade incubator for about 10 days now. I've been able to keep the temp at 96 - 104. Most of the time the temp is right on 100. The humidity I've only been able  to get to 70 percent. Most of the time it's between 55 and 66 percent.

I candled last night and most of the eggs have a 'web' of red veins through them. This is good?

I assume I keep going as I have been up until day 21. My question is... how am I going to get the humidity up to 80 - 90 percent?

I have half an inch of water in the bottom. That get's me to about 50% H. I Every time I turn the eggs (3 times daily) I drape a wet cloth on the inside of each side of the incubator. This usually gets the humidity up to 70% for a couple of hours.

Suggestions? I even tried putting the incubator in a small, windowless bathroom with a humidifier and still only got up to 75% H. When I did that, the temp hit 104 so I had to get them out of there.

Uggg! This is harder than I thought. Or am I worrying too much?

[Redhorse]

Try using a wet sponge in the bator to increase the surface area the water has to evaporate from.

[joe wares]

I have been having very good success I Mean 85-93 percent hatches
at 72- 76 Percent humidity. have hatched six times this year my first year
thats all I can say. hope this helps.

[openseason]

That's good news Joe. I'll try to get H up to 75 and hope for the best.

Regards,

OpenSeason

[stewaw]

The formula to raise humidity is to "increase the surface area". Simple enough right? The "method" you use is the tricky part. Depth is not important. Add more pans, place sponges in the pans (since they wick the water up and expose the sides of the sponge instead of just the surface area of the pan), agitate the water (put an aquarium air pump hose in the water) since agitating the water creates bubbles which have a greater surface area. Think of different methods and experiment- don't limit your thinking to simple pans.  Think along the lines of one of those small ornamental desk waterfalls. How about using one of those small watergarden pumps to pump water up and drain back down an old towel etc....The possibilities are endless.

 Imagination, experimentation, satisfaction

Best of luck with your hatch,
David