Styrofoam Incubator - How about oxygen when quails are hatched?

[jfoppoli]

Hi,
This may be a really stupid question, but I need to ask you guys. I am new to hatching eggs, I've been reading a lot yet my hands-on experience is zero. I just created a simple Styrofoam incubator from a cooler. I am getting a few quail eggs in the next few days and I am excited to try my first hatch.

I have seen / read that it's important to leave the birds for 24 hours in the incubator after they hatch, but I haven't read or seen anything on oxygen in the incubator. Considering it's going to be closed for 24 hours, I assume I will have to poke holes through the incubator. Is this right?

Should I have the holes during the incubation process as well? So far I have managed to keep the temperature constant at 100 degrees with a 50% humidity, give or take, but all this without any holes at all. If I need to poke holes, I will have to recalculate which is fine with me.






Although it shows 102, I was just testing it when I got this picture. Right now I am able to keep it steady at 100 degrees (although the humidity is something I am playing with, but usually it's around 50)





Thanks so much. I appreciate your help.
Julio

 

[GrandmaBird]

is that glass on the top or can air enter thru the top? If it is glass or something that air can not get through then yes you need air intake holes. I have not built one but I know there are videos on you tube as well as somewhere on here. as for the humidity 50 is fine for now but it should be increased to 60-70 at hatch. this can be done with wet sponges. good luck with your hatch.

 

[jfoppoli]

is that glass on the top or can air enter thru the top? If it is glass or something that air can not get through then yes you need air intake holes. I have not built one but I know there are videos on you tube as well as somewhere on here. as for the humidity 50 is fine for now but it should be increased to 60-70 at hatch. this can be done with wet sponges. good luck with your hatch.

Thank you very much for your response. Yes, it's glass. I saw some videos in which they had holes, but I thought it was to control temperature mostly. But it makes sense. Do you know if the holes for air intake should be there also while incubating?
Thanks again!

 

[GrandmaBird]

yes you should have one hole open during incubation and then when you stop turning and prepare for hatch open the second one. Like I said you will have to check with someone who made one to find out how big the holes need to be, I would guess it depends on the size of the cooler and how many eggs you have in it. Glad I can help and enjoy!

 

[cmobley]

Pop 2 half inch holes in there. Get a couple corks from fishing dept or something to plug em with and keep one open. Air does penetrate egg shell. When the first chick pops out open second hole but watch your humidity you gotta let chicks breathe and dry out but dont want others pipping to dry in the shell if the membrane in shell drys out it'll suffocate the chicks inside.

 

[jfoppoli]

Pop 2 half inch holes in there. Get a couple corks from fishing dept or something to plug em with and keep one open. Air does penetrate egg shell. When the first chick pops out open second hole but watch your humidity you gotta let chicks breathe and dry out but dont want others pipping to dry in the shell if the membrane in shell drys out it'll suffocate the chicks inside.

Thank you very much!

 

[jfoppoli]

Thanks for all the useful info and tips!

 

[SliderShooter]

Yes you will need fresh air entering the incubator and a vent for air to escape. Like others have suggested, vents on the top of the incubator for air to exit with a way to control the air flow and a few small vents on the bottom for fresh air to enter.