Ventilation is the key not humidity!

[minna]

I haven't read the whole thread, but this makes sense. I run my bator at or around 45% all 21 days. But my bator gets opened about daily, therefore exchanging the air. I have had pretty good hatches doing this and wouldn't do it any different.

 

[dancingbear]

I just googled around for gauges and sensors, it doesn't seem like a very practical way to go. What I had in mind was keeping the O2/CO2 mixture about the same as normal room air, which may not actually be the best way to go anyway. CO2 under a hen is probably a little higher than normal room air would be, due to the respiration of the eggs.

So I'm inclined to agree with Akane, and shoot for ways to ensure good ventilation plus correct humidity.

I've learned over the years, that the most economical way to go is usually pretty low-tech. Maybe wet sponge around the ventilation holes, (think donut) so than air will be somewhat moistened as it enters the 'bator. That way the vent holes are open, for good air movement, and incoming air will not be as dry.

A tray of water could be placed underneath, too, as log as the 'bator sits over it, and not in it. A shallow oven pan, for instance, with the 'bator resting up on the sides of the pan. Sort of like some people do with houseplants that need higher humidity, they set them on top of trays of pebbles, with water over the pebbles. The planter rests on the pebbles, not in the water. I'm thinking of my LG styrofoam 'bator, different strategies would be needed for bigger/different style 'bators.

The wet sponge inside the 'bator the last three days, too, probably.

 

[greathorse]

This is one of the more intelligent threads we have had on this forum It is great. The pre humidification chamber makes so much sense. I could run a humidifier and humidify the whole room but I am not wild about running just one more big old fan for that purpose.

So ya thing we could make a big boom with the O2? I am certain it would require more research before I would take that step.

At any rate this is a helpful thread.

Thanks all.

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
I wish I could tell you I have had great hatches on shipped eggs but gotta tell you I have not. I have great success with my own eggs. It is one of the reasons I continue to seek an answer for improved success with shipped eggs. I do beleive that our elevation and arid climate create additional challenges. I have been looking for an answer to adequate humidity and ventilation .

I have also heard that eggs produced at sea level are not as porous as eggs laid at elevation, it is why I was considering a liter or two of oxygen. Was going to do more research of course.

I am not certain oxygen in and of itself is flamable is it? It just makes things burn and boom if there is flammable stuff in the area. NOt a scientist so dont really know.

 

[dancingbear]

I worked in hospitals for years, and adding O2 can be very tricky. You can cause brain damage with too much, just as you can with too little.

And, yeah, it will go "boom". Even back before the days of no smoking anywhere, there was no smoking permitted where oxygen is in use, because of the risk of explosion.

What you could do, though, is put a lot of houseplants in the same room as the incubator. They make oxygen, but not so much as to be a danger. Those little dwarf red maples are great for producing O2, and purifying the air. That would increase O2 safely.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

High oxygen levels can make the dust in the air explosive. It can make plastics burn. It can even make eggs flammable. At least here in Georgia you have to ether have a prescription or be licensed to administer oxygen to even be allowed to have breathable compressed O2. Even tho I am licensed to administer oxygen I still wouldn't dare pumping O2 in to my incubator.


I tried growing grass in mine but I couldn't keep it alive. Just to dry.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
WOW!

 

[BirdBrain]

This has been a most interesting discussion. When I built my bator I had read somewhere that ventilation was very critical and put 4 vent holes in mine... 2 low on one end and two high on the other. The two low ones are on the end where the fan and bulb are and the two high ones are one the thermostat end.

I wonder how critical placement of ventilation is.

 

[spookychick]

Quote:
I read another thread where someone said that the humidity in her cabinet unit was affected differently depending on which of the vent holes she opened in relation to the water pan. So I would say placement would matter if you were trying to achieve a certain humidity level, but probably wouldn't be a big deal if you were able to do other things to achieve the same humidity results, such as controlling the outside RH. Lots of air circulates in the cabinet units. It's a little wind storm down in the hatching tray. I think that does a lot of good. I just open up all the vents and run the humidifier so it blows right at some of the vent holes. Seems to work fine.

 

[speckledhen]

I have said over and over that many hatches are lost due to lack of oxygen, especially when people are trying to raise the humidity and they tend to close off inlets. I have great hatches most of the time allowing for ventilation. You can have adequate oxygen and proper humidity. Eggs under a broody get a daily air bath when she gets off for periods to eat, drink and poop.