She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[kwhites634]

Can someone please 'splain me why humidity is so critical when using an incubator, considering that if the eggs were under a hen, as in nature, the ambient humidity would be whatever it was, which would vary greatly over 3 weeks?

 

[sideWing]

Can someone please 'splain me why humidity is so critical when using an incubator, considering that if the eggs were under a hen, as in nature, the ambient humidity would be whatever it was, which would vary greatly over 3 weeks?

1. I think the humidity under a hen is pretty steady.
2. It can have an affect on the oxygen transfer into the egg.
3. If it's not right you can drown the chick or shrinkwrap the chick. The moisture in the egg needs to leave at a certain rate.

 

[WalnutHill]

I will check it out! I saw this website a little while ago and thought of you. It's for a hatching service. Just to give you more ideas...http://www.debsbirds.com/services.htm

Nice, thanks. I know I wouldn't use that model but it's good to see what others do.

My plan is just to charge for the plastic flat, half an incubator tray no matter how many that flat holds, for the number of weeks of incubation. One half tray will pay for running the incubator, the rest would be profit. That would make it economical as well as convenient for planning purposes.

 

[scflock]

Can someone please 'splain me why humidity is so critical when using an incubator, considering that if the eggs were under a hen, as in nature, the ambient humidity would be whatever it was, which would vary greatly over 3 weeks?

The humidity under a hen is different than the air around her. She will pluck out her feathers to make a "broody patch", and her body temperature will rise when she goes broody. She will turn the eggs periodically while she is sitting. There is no doubt that they get off the eggs, and conditions around them change, but they instinctually know what to do when hatching eggs.
Incubators are the closest we can come to matching what happens in nature. From the incubations I have had this year, what I have learned is that the 3 most important factors we can control are humidity, temperature, and turning. Turning is easy, even more so with automatic turners. Temperature can be easy, depending on what kind of incubator you have. It seems that most of my successes or failures are humidity related. Too high humidity, and the eggs don't lose enough moisture, and the chicks can drown when they pip. Too low humidity, and the eggs can lose too much moisture causing other problems. Someone may have a more technical explanation for why hens have better control over humidity, all I know is that my broodies hatch 85% or better on a regular basis

 

[WalnutHill]

1. I think the humidity under a hen is pretty steady.
2. It can have an affect on the oxygen transfer into the egg.
3. If it's not right you can drown the chick or shrinkwrap the chick. The moisture in the egg needs to leave at a certain rate.

x 2.

 

[scflock]

Have you guys seen the contact incubator from Brinsea? It actually has a bladder that inflates with heated air and rests on the eggs like a broody hen.
Only $4000, and it holds 60 eggs

http://www.brinsea.com/p-489-contaq-z6-2nd-generation-contact-incubator.aspx

I hope it pays for their college tuition, too

 

[kwhites634]

Thanks, you guys. I figured there was a 'simple' explanation that I just hadn't considered.

 

[sideWing]

Have you guys seen the contact incubator from Brinsea? It actually has a bladder that inflates with heated air and rests on the eggs like a broody hen.
Only $4000, and it holds 60 eggs

http://www.brinsea.com/p-489-contaq-z6-2nd-generation-contact-incubator.aspx

I hope it pays for their college tuition, too

 

[kwhites634]

Have you guys seen the contact incubator from Brinsea? It actually has a bladder that inflates with heated air and rests on the eggs like a broody hen.
Only $4000, and it holds 60 eggs

http://www.brinsea.com/p-489-contaq-z6-2nd-generation-contact-incubator.aspx

I hope it pays for their college tuition, too

ONLY $4k! I'll take 2

 

[scflock]

In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.