Would you add a fan part way through a hatch?

[sian]

Hi - sorry if this has been covered before but couldn't find any threads about it.....

I'm on day 14 and have been having temperature stability issues with Still Air bator (new LG bator - seems to be an issue with LG. Have to say the HovaBator was much easier to maintain). Hubby offered to buy me an early Christmas pressie (

) of a fan, thinking that might help. The feed store is out but they ordered one that will be in on Tuesday. So by then we'll be on day 17.

Would you add a fan at this late stage in the game? I'm worried that I'll have to mess around with the temp and humidity a lot by changing the mix. Or wondering, you have tried this, did you have to change the temp, or did adding the fan kinda automagically drop the temp from 102 to 99.5?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
'

 

[bargain]

I'd wait because you will need to be changing up the temp some and this late in the game could hurt babies unless you are justing going to babysit it about 10 times in one day...

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

No wait....

Here read this.
http://cmfarm.us/stillair.html

 

[Suechick]

"So should you go stick a fan in the incubator your running now? Not if you have egg in it. Remember your thermostat is set at 120* so putting a fan in it now would bring your whole incubator up to 120*. Wait till you don't have any eggs in it so you can readjust the thermostat without worrying about cooking your eggs."

This quote is from the article that rebel cowboy linked to. What a great explanation of the way the still air incubator works. And clearly putting the fan in during an incubation will kill your chicks. But, once you finish with this hatch and install your fan you'll have an excuse to incubate more eggs.

 

[Painted Spirit]

I'll be the guinea pig here! I had eggs at about 5 days in my still air and installed a fan. The kit was very easy to do and took about 15 mins from start to finish. I threw a thick towel over the eggs and by the time I put the top back over the temp in the top had cooled to 90ish but the eggs under the towel were still about 95%. I turned the thermostat down a couple of full turns and stood by (about 30mins) until it stabilized at 100. I think the benefit of the fan will outweigh the temp fluctuation. Fingers crossed!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Just wandering? How many turns exactly did you end up going down to get back to 100*F?

 

[sian]

Thanks everyone - I love this forum, so much great support and answers! It's really nice to find a place where people are so helpful

I hope one day I can help others too.....

I think I'm going to stick it out without adding the fan. Thanks rebel cowboy for the link - that really explained how the air circulation works!

But - yes, Sue, the fan will give me an excuse for more eggs! Not telling hubby that the fan won't help the current hatch cuz I want the fan for the next hatch

Altho, sooner or later he's going to ask why I got four Silkies, using the excuse that they would sit on the eggs that my non-setting hens won't sit on.