Farm Innovators 4250 Temp and Humidity Experiment

[Kiki]

I am about to incubate with this unit for the first time. A friend of mine had been doing it prior and we got 75% hatch rate. She was dry hatching and I want to follow the instructions to see if we can increase our hatch rate. Which method do you advise and should I place the eggs closest to the fan or further away?

You aren't asking me but I'd like to know how many thermometers you have in your unit and if you plan on running it empty with multiple thermometers in it so you can get to know the cooler/hotter spots before you set eggs.

 

[Kittyntwinstarz]

Well I was asking anyone that has an answer lol. Ok so I have had it running for 4 hours. I put in another thermometer with a humidity gauge. Every hour I have moved the guage. So far I have discovered that the temp is pretty accurate but the humidity is about 10% over what the unit says it is. I suspect this could cause issues. I also have not added any water and am thinking that if I do it might only further complicate things. Humidity seems to be best up by the fan.

You aren't asking me but I'd like to know how many thermometers you have in your unit and if you plan on running it empty with multiple thermometers in it so you can get to know the cooler/hotter spots before you set eggs.

 

[Kittyntwinstarz]

So I just added 1/4 of water to test it and the unit humidity is reading 20% higher.

 

[casportpony]

So I just added 1/4 of water to test it and the unit humidity is reading 20% higher.

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? This is @WVduckchick's humidity article. In it she has instructions for calibrating them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

 

[007Sean]

So I just added 1/4 of water to test it and the unit humidity is reading 20% higher.

Depending on whether you added warm water vs. cold water can make a difference in the % RH. Adding warm water (100°F) will help stabilize the humidity and the temperature will recover quicker than cold water.
Also, when adding water to the bator that has stabilized, it will spike the % RH until it stabilizes again, so it's best to add in small increments until you find the correct amount to add to reach the desired % RH.

Performing dry runs (no eggs) is the best way to become familiar with you're incubator. Adding eggs will usually make the temperature drop, until the eggs reach the desired internal temperature...don't 'freak out' and start adjusting the temperature until the incubator stabilizes, usually within an hour to two hours. If adjustments need to be made, make small adjustments, then wait and hour or longer to make another if needed...a good way to do this is to set unfertilized eggs for testing and getting the incubator adjusted to optimum operating temperature and humidity.

The 4250 I have, kept temperature very well for a foam incubator, the highest temperatures were directly under the heating unit but only by 1°, it was fairly stable and had no stratification of the air mass in the incubator. The first hatch from it was 100%,
Stable temperature is important in incubating eggs but a stable humidity is also important...alot of folks overlook the importance of a stable humidity. HTH and good luck with your hatching.

 

[Saaniya]

 

[casportpony]

Next phase:

 

[Rothy_058]

Controlling humidity is a proper bugger! If you want to use a fan to reduce humidity you might consider making it push the air through a chamber filled with silica gel granules - they actively absorb moisture....but their is a maintenance issue with this solution

I think that by blowing the air around within the bator you'll achieve little if anything in terms of reducing humidity... another solution may be to blow the air over the 'cold' surface of a Peltier - the moisture would condense on the surface as water and thus the humidity of the air would be lowered, but this would probably only be practical as an 'external' addition - i.e outside of the incubator...where the air would be extracted, conditioned, and returned to the incubator...

Small 'closet' type dehumidifiers that use a little peltier are available quite cheaply and it would be possible to use one of these to achieve active humidity control. It would require a signal from the humidity monitor to tell the dehumidifier to start when the humidity has exceeded the desired value or to stop when the desired value has been achieved.

I'm a beginner at hatching and raising quail but I do have some experience of automation and control as it's what i do for a living...

 

[007Sean]

I use a PureAir Model 1700 humidifier and a ZooMed controller on my cabinet incubators. I can set the humidity at any %RH I need for whatever eggs I'm setting. It can he used on foam bators as well but it's a lot of engineering for little gain with a foam bator. It's easier for me to just add water to the troughs on my foamies.

 

[Kiki]

Kathy will you take a picture of the under side of the lid for me the next time you open it.
I want to see what the heating element looks like.