Brinsea Octagon 20 Humidity question

[Stellar]

50-60% is fine...48% should be fine for the incubation process.

 

[jackson41]

So should I leave the vent fully closed if the humidity goes above 50%?

 

[Stellar]

I am not familiar with the octagons, I usually have vents open on my hovabators so I assume to keep the vent slightly open at the end? WHen the chicks start hatching, humidity rises too, keep that in mind.

 

[Kwartel]

I ended up throwing a wet sponge in mine just to get the humidity up. It has been very dry here.

 

[jackson41]

Finally humidity at 47% temp steady at 99.7 . Hope this is OK! I set 30 coturnix eggs for my first hatch.

 

[Colinus Ruckus]

Hm. I've been having a little trouble keeping the humidity up, too. It hovers between 40 and 45% with both grooves full, which is technically fine, but I'm wondering how I'm going to get it much higher for when they start hatching. Sponge, I hear? My bator's got 57 eggs in it, so I've got the vent half open.

 

[Fat Daddy]

If you want to hatch in it, take a sponge and split it long ways. The goal is to have the sponge sit in the well of water and be only tall enough to not quite reach the bottom of the egg tray. If it sits in the water well you wont have to re-wet nearly as often. I use a squirt bottle to fill the wells and wet the sponge. Dont even have to lift the try out. Most likely you will only have to use a sponge in one well... I have started just transfering eggs to a Home made hatcher-bator. This allows me to refill the brinsea with more eggs and feed the addiction.....Bill

 

[jackson41]

What is your homemade hatcher like? How did you make it?

 

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:
Its just a styrofoam shipper with a glass cut in the top. Like every other homemade cooler-bator. I used two 40 watt light bulbs, just in case one burns out while Im not around. I used a wafer thermostat, bought off ebay, that is really dependable. It will need adjustment every time a big front moves thru, Im guess'in low pressure\\high pressure deal but dont know for sure why. Its not severe thou just a deg or two. A old puter fan, mounted in the lid, powered with a old radio charger transformer. Use a new fan, there cheap and mines loud!!

Its a deep shipper, like omaha steaks use. This allows for a false bottom of wire. Under the wire grate I put 6, 12 oz pop bottles full of water. This adds thermal mass, once the lid is put back on the temp jumps right back up. Handy when your wanting to pull thirsty little quail out often. I also use 4 coffee mugs for water and sponge holders in it. holding humidity is no problem either.

The only problem I have with it is room, I cant fit a turner in it for incubating and it can hold only 50 eggs with the rest of the crap in there. And the light bulb heat supply. Trying to sleep in the same room with it turning on lights for 14 seconds, every 92 seconds, with make you count weird crap all night..... Bill

 

[jackson41]

God THAT sounds simple. I'm great with a hammer but not so much with wiring? I think I'll leave the hatching to Brinsea!