Fan on or off during lockdown?

[minnehaha]

I've been searching for the answer to this question but have not found an answer so thought I would just ask.

I have an incubator with an air circulating fan (farm innovators). Last time I hatched out chicks, I left the fan on during lockdown and hatch. Was I suppose to unplug the fan during lockdown and hatch and have it be a still air incubator during those last days? Thank you. Monday is lockdown day.......excited.

Homicidal broody hatched out roos and pullets, but killed ALL 4 of the pullets and ate two of the eggs, she let 3 cockerels live.....

The other broody who is very good, hatched out one pullet and 4 cockerels.

I'm hatching Cream Legbars.

I'm hoping the incubator give me some pullets.

 

[donrae]

Keep the fan on. Turning it off can really change the temp in different areas of the incubator, keeping the circulation going will hold a more consistent temp.

 

[minnehaha]

Keep the fan on. Turning it off can really change the temp in different areas of the incubator, keeping the circulation going will hold a more consistent temp.

Thank you!

I was worried that the fan blows down directly on the eggs and dries them to much, but the fans are built to not blow straight down on the eggs is what I read today. Is that true?

I'm hoping for a good hatch. I have not touched, opened the incubator nor candled these eggs since putting them in the bator.

They go into lockdown and I will leave it be......and hope for some Cream Legbar pullets.

 

[donrae]

I don't know that brand, to know how the fan is set up. Hopefully someone else will come by who can chime in more.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I don't know specifically about that brand either, but the fan should be pointing away from the eggs, not blowing directly on them. If it is blowing on the eggs, you might want to flip it around for your next hatch.

 

[HugHess]

I would like to know how you turn the fan off in the Farmers without turning off the heat...it's off the same power source. no? My directions gave no indications you can turn one of without the other.
Worse case scenario get another incubator, a still/thermal air, to hatch in.
That's what I am doing with this latest hatch because I worried too much about the stories where people have trouble keeping their humidity up due to the fan.
Best wishes with your hatch!

 

[minnehaha]

Hi, my hatch went pretty good. I had a 30% hatch rate. I got 4 chicks out of 12 eggs. And they are ALL pullets!!!

I left the fan on during lockdown. I also wondered if the the air would blow up or down. When I put my hand under it I felt nothing, so I assumed it blew up, not on the eggs.

I bought my farm Innovator as a still air incubator and added the fan. It comes on and off with one screw and a little gray quick connect plug that plugs into the heater. So you can take the fan off in a few minutes without powering off the heater. Even though I think I would probably burn myself on the heating elements. There are videos on youtube on how to install/uninstall it.

The still air and the circulating air incubator should be identical except the addition of the fan which should be the same installtion as adding one. Why would they make it any different? So I am sure you can simply uninstall it with one screw and unplugging that gray quick connect from the the heater.

I like the idea of just getting another incubator for lockdown.

I didn't see all of the acivity on this thread until this morning, it's been a crazy week. Chicks hatching. high school homecoming, and sewing 30 Color Guard flags for the high school band have eaten up ALL of my time. Thank God for a really sweet quilter neighbor who helped me sew. She lost 4 POL pullets to coyotes who dug under her fence 2 weeks ago (I lost my beloved gray persian cat). So I gave her 4 white Leghorn pullets who are at POL. She is so happy about it, that in return she is helping me knock out this giant sewing project. I also gave her 3 dozen duck eggs, and she was elated!

 

[minnehaha]

I don't know that brand, to know how the fan is set up. Hopefully someone else will come by who can chime in more.

Keeping the fan on turned out to be good advice. The hatch went well and it felt like the air blew up, not on the eggs. Thanks again for your input.

 

[minnehaha]

Here is one of my perfect and beautiful little Cream Legbar pullets. I got one more perfect one, then a not so text book perfect, plus a hybrid. I have a hard time distinguishing between my blue Americana eggs and my CLB blue eggs, so incubating can turn up some hybrids as well as pure breeds.

 

[spotsplus]

Hi, my hatch went pretty good. I had a 30% hatch rate. I got 4 chicks out of 12 eggs. And they are ALL pullets!!!

I left the fan on during lockdown. I also wondered if the the air would blow up or down. When I put my hand under it I felt nothing, so I assumed it blew up, not on the eggs.

I bought my farm Innovator as a still air incubator and added the fan. It comes on and off with one screw and a little gray quick connect plug that plugs into the heater. So you can take the fan off in a few minutes without powering off the heater. Even though I think I would probably burn myself on the heating elements. There are videos on youtube on how to install/uninstall it.

The still air and the circulating air incubator should be identical except the addition of the fan which should be the same installtion as adding one. Why would they make it any different? So I am sure you can simply uninstall it with one screw and unplugging that gray quick connect from the the heater.

I like the idea of just getting another incubator for lockdown.

I didn't see all of the acivity on this thread until this morning, it's been a crazy week. Chicks hatching. high school homecoming, and sewing 30 Color Guard flags for the high school band have eaten up ALL of my time. Thank God for a really sweet quilter neighbor who helped me sew. She lost 4 POL pullets to coyotes who dug under her fence 2 weeks ago (I lost my beloved gray persian cat). So I gave her 4 white Leghorn pullets who are at POL. She is so happy about it, that in return she is helping me knock out this giant sewing project. I also gave her 3 dozen duck eggs, and she was elated!

Glad the outcome was good! I always have kept the fan on during hatching without a problem