Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I have a big redwood & also a styrofoam incubator. I recently bought a used Brinsea Mini for the smaller hatches to use if my broodies aren't cooperating. It doesn't have a humidity sensor. I use a larger temp/humidity sensor in my other incubators but they are too large to put into this tiny incubator.

This brings me to this question...what brand of temp/humidity probe has anyone found to be reliable? I would prefer using one to not using one, because that is what I am used to. And...if you put one in, how do you insert the wire without it letting heat & humidity out?

My other question is that the instructions (yes, I know this is really only a guide) says to increase humidity for the last TWO days instead of lockdown on day 18. What is up with that? Do I follow that idea?

Hopefully someone who has experience with this type of incubator can give some tips. If you can...thanks!

I don't have mine anymore but when I used it I found the water reservoir went down fast near the end of the hatch so really watch the level. I used a flashlight to keep watch and had to top up the water during lock down. I had successful bantam and quail hatches with it though.

Thanks. That is interesting. Ours didn't have an issue with humidity disappearing quickly at that point. Maybe external humidity issues where at play?

I put in my other indicator sensor, just because I prefer to know the numbers. I was just hoping to find something smaller.

I, personally, have thrown out the idea of monitoring incubator humidity, years ago, and now just watch ambient room humidity. Any electronic device that is constantly exposed to moisture and that you cannot calibrate, will fail you sooner or later and probably sooner, and you won't know it until you get chicks that go all the way but die before or during hatching. Incubate and hatch in a room with constantly stable temperature, like a closet, basement or even an attic, and use any cheapie weather station with a probe that tells you inside/outside temp and humidity, and you're golden.