low humidity

[Mrs P]

My students and I are incubating quail eggs for the first time. The incubator temp is holding fine, but I can't get the humidity above 40%. We are using a stryrofoam stil air incubator at the moment until our new forced air incubator arrives. (The old forced air died yesterday- two hours before the eggs arrived!)  Need suggestions on how to raise humidity.  Thanks!

[harleytoo]

MrsP

If there are water wells in the bottom I cut 2 inch strips of paper towel and lay them across the bottom from one side of the incubator to the other crossing all the wells. The strips wick up water causing more surface area which equals more evaporation. If one does not raise it high enough place another, and another until you reach the right level. If it goes too high start removing them one at a time, I have even shortened the strips to reach the right level.

If you don't have water wells you can cut a sponge into 1 inch strips, keep them wet, add or remove until right levels are reached. By working with small things it's easier to adjust.

Hope that helps, good luck 

Norma

[Mrs P]

Thanks! We will give it a try. We are up to 47-50% right now so hopefully your solution will get us where we need to be.

[TENNESSERED]

Another easy way to increase the humidity is to place 2 or more mayo lids in the bottom of the foam incubator also filled with water.  If you want to make the foam incubator even better, get a cheap computer cooling fan, the kind they mount on the back of a computer tower.   Install it in the lid with small washers and bolts between the fan and the lid about a 1/3 to 1/2 inch.  If you go down to a local computer store they will probably give you one out of an old computer case they are ready to throw out.  They are 12 volts d.c. so any little plug in adapter that is rated at 12 v.d.c. will power it.  In this way you turn that still air bator into a fan forced one that will work a lot better!