Vents in Brower Top Hatch

[Chickhick]

I am going to hatch in my new Brower Top Hatch, and wondered if I should open all the vents. I like lots of ventilation, and am incubating with all vents open (in my Brinsea Octogon 20 Advance) and just add wet sponges to compensate for the loss of humidity. I have a digital hygrometer to keep an eye on levels in the Brower during hatching.

Is there some reason I should only open 1 or 2? Is it difficult to maintain enough humidity? Before I got my hygrometer and I was using a different incubator I had to help some chicks who were shrink wrapped. It was traumatic for me, though they all made it. I want to avoid that scenario again!

I just got the Top Hatch today and I'm just setting it up now.

Any advice is very welcome! (And I soon may have to incubate as well as hatch some of my eggs in it, as I might have too many coming at the same time!)

Thanks!

 

[bwyatt]

I have an older top hatch and open 1 vent on day 3 like instructions say. I raise humidity during lockdown. I watch for condensation on the lid and open another vent if need be. Have had many good hatches from the old brower. It's a THI10.

Good luck,

Bill

 

[bwyatt]

By the way, I have never had to add sponges. I just fill the water reservoir before lockdown.

Bill

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
I got a TopHatch120 but I also have 3 other bators. Brower Tophatch tend to be unstable temperature wise and mine is no exeption. I have 1 vent open, those vents are of a good size I can not imagine need for 4 vents, unless your humidity goes too high, in my case it tended to be on low side for lockdown.

Anyway I use mine Tophatch as a hatcher, great visibility, easy cleaning, also due to it's design the fan does not blow directly on eggs drying them up during critical hatchtime.

Since you have Brinsea 20 I would suggest for the first time incubate eggs in Brinsea then hatch them in Tophatch.

This way you will get hand on it, and temperature fluctuations in Tophatch (I hope yours will run stable, but for most people it does not) are not that critical during the hatch. I run mine for hatching at 97-99F.

If you have problem with it keeping stable temperature for incubation, I found solution for that, but it requires using extra thermostat externally with the probe inserted through one of the vents. ($25.00 investment). No changing anything or wiring is required.

In fact I only use Tophatch as a hatcher only having Brinsea ECO 20 and small one turner homemade cabinet style bator.

 

[bwyatt]

My top hatch THI10 has always held temp right on. I set it at 99.5 and it has always held at no less than 99 and no more than 100.
Glad I got one with good t-stat. Has worked good for over 10 years now.

Bill

 

[Chickhick]

I intended the Top Hatch to be a hatcher only and incubate in my others, but I have a bit of an overlap because of shipped eggs coming too close together. I have a batch of quail eggs in my Brinsea 20 Advance, and another batch of quail in my Brinsea 20 Eco, and I just got 2 dozen (plus 7 extras) chicken eggs in the mail today. The extra 7 are going to go in my Brinsea mini. (I have a horrible LG that I can't ever get the temperature stable in, so it is actually my last choice to use, and won't be using it this time.)

Okay, so here is the plan: move the 1st batch of quail into the Top Hatch with 1 vent open, and just put water in the outer water trough. Then at lockdown, (in a couple of days,) stop the turning, and add water up to the inner rim to increase humidity.

As soon as that batch hatches it is time for the 2nd batch to go into the Top Hatch for lockdown. Then I'll wait for the last 3 days of the chicken eggs and move them into the Top Hatch for lockdown.

I hope it works out!

I'll let ya'll know how the hatch goes. Thanks for the advise.

Oh... 1 more question:
Do those of you who hatch in the Top Hatch, do you set the eggs in egg cartons to keep them big-end up?

Thanks!!

 

[bwyatt]

I put mine on their side with pointed end down a little. If you used egg cartons, they would not turn. They roll back and forth slowly on their side in the top hatch. Day 3 to 7 is the most important time to turn. Make sure you stop turning on day 18.

Bill