BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Incubating & Hatching Eggs › Not enough oxygen in my incubator -- where should I put another ventilation hole?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Not enough oxygen in my incubator -- where should I put another ventilation hole?

post #1 of 9
6/30/12 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 

I have a Genesis 1588 Hovabator, and it has one 1/2" vent hole on the ceiling, and a couple of pencil-width holes around the perimeter of the incubator's floor. I have done 24 hatches and, in every single one, the chicks are panting and I always end up with 20-40% chicks that died in the shell before pipping. I have been suspicious for the last couple of hatches that my problem is lack of oxygen via good ventilation, and I believe I should make one or more additional vent holes to allow for it. I leave the ceiling hole open all the time, and I have tried elevating the incubator so that the floor holes can receive more air flow, but this has not seemed to make a difference.

 

Does anyone know where the best place to put a vent hole would be, how wide it should be, and whether or not I should make more than one?

Reply
Reply

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Join Our 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long
Why Join BackYard Chickens?
post #2 of 9
6/30/12 at 1:38pm

I do not believe that vent is your problem more likely to me is temperature problem before you do anything check the temp with a reliable thermometer

ps. is it force or still air incu?

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply
post #3 of 9
6/30/12 at 1:40pm
Thread Starter 

I have checked it several times throughout my hatches with two thermometers, but it is always at 100 degrees on the dot. It's a forced air incubator.

Reply
Reply
post #4 of 9
6/30/12 at 1:52pm

I have an old Hovabator almost 20 years never had a problem with vent i always have both vents on top closed i only replaced the wafer thermostat with an electronic one did you check humidity?

on second thought

in how many days do they hatch do they on day 21 ?

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply
post #5 of 9
6/30/12 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 

Yes, I check the humidity constantly, and it is usually 60-70% during lockdown, but it goes up to 80% (or sometimes higher, occasionally it goes to 100%) when the chicks start to hatch. I have posted concerns about the high humidity before, but people said it was normal for it to spike like that. I have tried partially opening the incubator during the spikes to lower the humidity, but this usually shrink-wraps the chicks nearest to the open side.

Reply
Reply
post #6 of 9
6/30/12 at 2:02pm

I am not asking about lock down but for the first days if it is too high over 50% the air sack shrinks cosing death of the chicks on pipping

on lock down when chicks start to hatch it is normal to go very high and helps

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply
post #7 of 9
6/30/12 at 2:21pm
Thread Starter 

Oh, for the first 17 days the humidity is 30-35%; it never goes above 35%.

Reply
Reply
post #8 of 9
6/30/12 at 2:26pm

I give up i can not think of anything else may be bacteria infection or what ?? But i still believe it is not a vent problem even  when chicks hatch and i have 38 to 40 in the incu the vent holes are closed and never had suffocation of any chick

excuse my English !!

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply

If it's one thing i know is that i know nothing

Reply
post #9 of 9
6/30/12 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 

Oh, okay. Well thanks for your help.

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Incubating & Hatching Eggs

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Join Our 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long
Why Join BackYard Chickens?
BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Incubating & Hatching Eggs › Not enough oxygen in my incubator -- where should I put another ventilation hole?