GoodOldDays
In the Brooder
- Nov 26, 2017
- 19
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Hi all.
Building an incubator out of a little bar fridge over here.
I've done my research on R.H. and the pros and cons between still air and forced draught.
I'm going with the still air option but I have hit a bufuddling concept and cannot seem to find research on the matter, so I am asking you wonderful people for your opinions.
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In a still air incubator the norm is for the heat source to be above the eggs. This makes sense because in nature the heat comes from above too.
What I find befuddling about this is that in a still air incubator there is a significant temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the egg.
Why not put the heat source below the eggs?
If the heat is below the eggs, the heater itself warms the lower side and the fact that warm air rises means that the difference in temp across the egg would not be so drastic. (In theory)
Also if you were to put the heat below the egg with a vent near the heat source, and a vent at the top of the incubator, the hot air rising would draw in fresh air and expel old 'used' air at the top after it has passed over the eggs much more effectively.
I feel that light bulbs used as the heat sources may need a small shield above them to distribute the heat more evenly, so that the eggs directly above the light do not get too hot. But this is easy to achieve.
I understand that the lights/shields may get dirty once the chicks start hatching. Do you think that they would get dirty enough in that short period of time to cause such a problem that the heat source needed to be above? Is that the only reason people put the lights/heat above?
Any insight would be appreciated. I just don't understand why it is common practice to put the heat source above.
Thank you.
Building an incubator out of a little bar fridge over here.
I've done my research on R.H. and the pros and cons between still air and forced draught.
I'm going with the still air option but I have hit a bufuddling concept and cannot seem to find research on the matter, so I am asking you wonderful people for your opinions.
--------------------------
In a still air incubator the norm is for the heat source to be above the eggs. This makes sense because in nature the heat comes from above too.
What I find befuddling about this is that in a still air incubator there is a significant temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the egg.
Why not put the heat source below the eggs?
If the heat is below the eggs, the heater itself warms the lower side and the fact that warm air rises means that the difference in temp across the egg would not be so drastic. (In theory)
Also if you were to put the heat below the egg with a vent near the heat source, and a vent at the top of the incubator, the hot air rising would draw in fresh air and expel old 'used' air at the top after it has passed over the eggs much more effectively.
I feel that light bulbs used as the heat sources may need a small shield above them to distribute the heat more evenly, so that the eggs directly above the light do not get too hot. But this is easy to achieve.
I understand that the lights/shields may get dirty once the chicks start hatching. Do you think that they would get dirty enough in that short period of time to cause such a problem that the heat source needed to be above? Is that the only reason people put the lights/heat above?
Any insight would be appreciated. I just don't understand why it is common practice to put the heat source above.
Thank you.