How to Set an Incubator

Obtaining the best results from a hatch depends on the accurate functioning of your incubator. Two fundamental types of incubators are available, these being the still air and the forced air models. Forced air incubators incorporate a fan, which still air incubators do not. Be familiar with the manufacturer's instructions before turning your incubator on. In order to function correctly, the incubator needs to maintain a select humidity and temperature. The humidity in an incubator is read from a hygrometer and is best controlled by adjusting the surface area of water that has been placed in the incubator.

Things You'll Need

  • Still-air incubator
  • Wet-bulb/dry-bulb hygrometer
  • Humidity conversion chart
  • Heater with integrated thermostat
  • Two small bowls
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the glass vile that contains the wick of the wet-bulb hygrometer with water. Position the hygrometer into the incubator.

    • 2

      Fill a small bowl with water and place it carefully onto the floor of the incubator.

    • 3

      Set the thermostat on the heater for 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 4

      Close the door of the incubator and wait at least 24 hours for the temperature and humidity to stabilize.

    • 5

      Open the door of the incubator and read both the temperature and the humidity. Use the humidity conversion chart to obtain the correct humidity, which should be between 60 and 65 percent during the first 18 days of incubation.

    • 6

      Adjust the temperature either up or down as required, by turning the thermostat control knob on the heater.

    • 7

      Fill a second bowl with water and position it next to the first bowl, if the humidity is lower than 50 to 55 percent. Be aware that the humidity within the incubator is influenced by the humidity in the environment. During January and February, because of the low humidity that is associated with these months, it is difficult to maintain a high humidity in an incubator.

    • 8

      Remove the first bowl and replace it with a smaller bowl, if the humidity is higher than 50 to 55 percent. This situation is likely to develop during June and July, when the humidity around the incubator is high. Humidity is influenced by the available surface area of water. The larger the surface area of water in the incubator, the higher the humidity will be.

    • 9

      Close the incubator door and wait for 24 hours to check if the humidity is closer to the desired reading.