Incubators Anonymous

[Arielle]

Good afternoon fellow incubators...... a quick question. I'm on my second (hopefully successful) hatch and for the first one we used a strictly still air, jacked the humidity up on day 18, and it went well......however with this one, we added a computer fan and we are questioning turning the fan off for lockdown. Haven't found much info....

Haven't been able to increase the humidity up as high as with the completely still one, but do we just stick with the 75% and remain calm with the fan on or turn it off and hope the humidity can get up to 80-85% again?

Suggestions anyone???

We have two pips so far and am afraid we're shrinkwrapping with a fan going......Thanks everyone!

Since you added the fan, vs factory installed, be sure the fan is NOT blowing on the eggs, rather it should pull in air and blow it against a wall or ceiling and disperse the air. Direct air WILL dry out he pipped eggs.

Do you need HR at 80%--are you hatching turkeys?? I'm not aware of any other bird that needs RH so high.

Because incubators with fans circulate the air, more of the air leaves the incubator taking the moisture with it. Do you have a method of refilling water resevoirs to help keep the RH up?

You can hatch without the fan, becareful of the temperture. Monitor that. 99 at tje mid-height of the eggs, or 102 on top of the eggs.

Hope this helps.

 

[WinklerFarms]

I found that when I used my lg with a comp fan added I had to have the humidity much higher. The fan was pointed blowing up but it still seemed to dry them. I had to keep the rh at around 80 to get successful hatches. It all depends on the ambient rh too.

 

[WinklerFarms]

Wooohooooooo. Just got off the phone with a customer that said he wants 70 chicks out of my next hatch! I guess I might get to have 2 more hatches until I shut the bator down. Then again by the time that hatch is done I am not sure it is worth turning off...guess I will have to hatch right through summer......sigh

 

[ki4got]

Good afternoon fellow incubators...... a quick question. I'm on my second (hopefully successful) hatch and for the first one we used a strictly still air, jacked the humidity up on day 18, and it went well......however with this one, we added a computer fan and we are questioning turning the fan off for lockdown. Haven't found much info....

Haven't been able to increase the humidity up as high as with the completely still one, but do we just stick with the 75% and remain calm with the fan on or turn it off and hope the humidity can get up to 80-85% again?

Suggestions anyone???

We have two pips so far and am afraid we're shrinkwrapping with a fan going......Thanks everyone!

my hatcher w/ fan stays about 60% without problems. too high and chicks may not start breathing properly.
i dislike still air as humidity and temp can stratify too much. humid air is actually lighter, so would be at the top with the warmer air...

 

[jandrusrn]

my hatcher w/ fan stays about 60% without problems. too high and chicks may not start breathing properly.
i dislike still air as humidity and temp can stratify too much. humid air is actually lighter, so would be at the top with the warmer air...

Since you added the fan, vs factory installed, be sure the fan is NOT blowing on the eggs, rather it should pull in air and blow it against a wall or ceiling and disperse the air. Direct air WILL dry out he pipped eggs.

Do you need HR at 80%--are you hatching turkeys?? I'm not aware of any other bird that needs RH so high.

Because incubators with fans circulate the air, more of the air leaves the incubator taking the moisture with it. Do you have a method of refilling water resevoirs to help keep the RH up?

You can hatch without the fan, becareful of the temperture. Monitor that. 99 at tje mid-height of the eggs, or 102 on top of the eggs.

Hope this helps.

Sooooo the fan is not blowing on the eggs, it's blowing around the incubator, all plugs are out, and we're sitting about 70%. As a matter of fact, we have another pip and it's going quickly. The first one has stalled slightly, but we're optimistic. I've (apparently mistakenly) been under the impression that the higher the better when it comes into rh.

I'm pretty happy right now, and actually have put on a pot of coffee...

So all is well....

Thanks again everyone... Jane

 

[Zootopia]

I have always hatched at about 60% and let the chicks raise it from there, in my Hovabator. I prefer to hatch in the reptipro, I take the waterpan out as soon as they pip w/ 40% and they raise it way up from there to like 80% and I have to wipe the condensation off the window. I have been moving this hatch as soon as they are out to an old still air Hova to dry. I like it. All the Mystery ducks hatched, one is almost solid black, the rest are, well like baby ducks. Guess I'll know more as they grow. So cute and cuddly, even DH likes them. Got 2 EX leghorns (out of 18, this is the bunch that went in a couple days before the power went out) I have a bunch in lockdown that I'm just crossing my fingers.
Oh, just in case I didn't hatch anything after the power outage. I have 20 guineas (some will go to the broodys) and a doz W/BW Am resting to go in tomorrow and I expect another shipment of various goodies tomorrow

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I have noticed that the first to pip is not always the first to zip.

It could the first, if it is way ahead of the others; or it could be very late, 24 hours post pip, odd.

 

[ki4got]

re: humidity,,,

i use one of those disposable rectangular plastic tubs, about 3"x5" (not sure of the capacity) and used some scrap hardware cloth bent over the edges to make a lid to keep chicks from jumping in. fill it up at lockdown and my humidity stays rock solid. if i've got rotating hatches i can usually get a week out of it. i also line the incubator when i clean it between hatches with paper towels, and when i have to open the incubator for any reason i have a squirt bottle i keep water in to dampen a corner of the paper. that seems to get the humidity back up quickly. if i have to open when someone's already pipped then idampen the paper right under that egg.

 

[WinklerFarms]

Oh boy I went and did it. Amish guy brought eggs into the store where I work. I know they are fertile I have some hatching now. I just couldn't help it! Fertile eggs at $1.99!? So I bought 8 dozen and I'm going to set them when I take chicks out of the bator tonight!

 

[DMRippy]

Oh boy I went and did it. Amish guy brought eggs into the store where I work. I know they are fertile I have some hatching now. I just couldn't help it! Fertile eggs at $1.99!? So I bought 8 dozen and I'm going to set them when I take chicks out of the bator tonight!

What are they? Do you care?