HELP just baught a big cabinet hatcher and it has no airholes!

[Roosterfry]

It's a hatcher that has never been used. I need it soon to be operational. But after I baught it I figured out it didn't have any air holes.. He failed to mention that to me when I purchased it. Its about three feet tall and has a false back inside it. it has wind compartment that starts from the top shelf with two fans that blows down through a heating element and down the back to the bottom. The idea is to keep the air circulating. I email him and he said to put the air holes in the same place as the incubator. But the air flow in the incubator is different.. I tried to call him again but with no luck... Someone that knows about hatchers very well please post on this topic! Thanks in advance!

 

[BairleaFarm]

My home made bator in 14"x20"x36" and ive got no air holes. I havent had any issues maintaining humidity or temp and doesnt smell like stale air so I really dont know why they are needed.

 

[quintinp]

Don't get me wrong Barlea, but airholes are needed Unless you open your incubator often. My last hatch in my cooler incubator, temp was fine and so was humidity, no fluctuation at all during the hatch or lock down. I ended up with 9 out of 14 eggs, and all of the eggs were fully developed, No dried membranes, so my conclusion was to add some vent holes to my incubator, and it has made a big difference in the smell of the incubator. And has recently hatched some quail, some 3 day old quail are living in it right now. I think air holes are needed, just a few small holes behind the fan makes a big difference.

 

[Roosterfry]

Quote:
So behind the fan what do u mean? Just need some help befofe I start drrilling on this thing

 

[BairleaFarm]

I opened it daily just to check things. I may add holes for this next hatch if i have a crappy hatch rate.

 

[Roosterfry]

Quote:
I just read in the GQF manuel that if you open a hatcher during the hatch you could risk damaging the hatch. I think I have damaged a many hatches with my LG's doing that.

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
So behind the fan what do u mean? Just need some help befofe I start drrilling on this thing

I mean if there is a fan mounted onto the wall, you will want to put about 4 1/2 inch holes behind ONE fan so it can pull fresh air into the incubator. and a probably 2 more holes in the side, so the stale air can exit the incubator.

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
I just read in the GQF manuel that if you open a hatcher during the hatch you could risk damaging the hatch. I think I have damaged a many hatches with my LG's doing that.

Yeah, in a Little Giant I don't know if it would be much of a problem opening the incubator, but with a GQF cabinet incubator, the humidity and temp will escape the incubator, and may take a while to gain the humidity and temp back up. Especially in a hatcher, because a hatcher is used for the last three days of incubation, and opening the incubator and letting that much humidity out would cause a bit of shrink wrapping, because the humidity would be so low.

 

[BairleaFarm]

When i opened it the temps never really fell. ive opened it once during lockdown to get an exploded egg out of it and humidity dropped but only took a few minutes to come back up.

 

[northernturkeys]

Bairlea, I would love to see some current pics of your incubator! I've been following it since your "build" thread and I am very curious to see how things are developing.