Question for Clayton and other Brinsea Cabinet owners.

At Clayton's seminar he said that hatching temperature could be slightly lower than incubating temperature. He mentioned that the temp at the bottom of a cabinet incubator is slightly lower than the top. Heat rises, right? Even with a fan?

So what about humidity? Is it even throughout or does it differ slightly throughout the height of the incubator? If so, where is the greater humidity?

Sue, I think you signature should read, Sue who is inquisitive.....then the rest. Good question though. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Still wondering...

I am also patiently waiting for an answer!! Hopefully someone can answer this

Ya, still waiting. But personally, I would think that humidity would be pretty much steady throughout, just my thought. I am certainly not as concerned with humidity as temperature. I incubate from now on at 100.1 to .5 in my sportsman. My last hatch was so good I attribute it to the big higher temperature. But humidity, me too waiting to hear stuff. Beautiful days, CynthiaM.

I don't own a cabinet incubator, but I can give you at least a partial answer. Relative humidity increases as temperature decreases without the actual amount of moisture in the air changing. This is because warmer air is capable of holding more moisture than cold air is. This could very well be part of the reason they say to decrease the temperature a bit for hatching.

Not sure how much of a difference this would be, I'd have to dig out some old class notes I might not even still have to calculate it. Also, maybe if the water tray is at the bottom too the humidity would be highest there? Not 100% sure on that one.

According to my Egg-o-meter thermometer the internal egg temp is 98.5- 100 degrees in the brinsea 190 top tray, and it does get a bit lower on the lower trays but I don't remember the numbers. I dunno how accurate these little things really are but if the temp is higher at the top then there would be more water in the air at the top than at the bottom. I know the cabinet temp is held steady and every hatch is on time so no trouble there. I try to cycle the eggs down to lower trays as they incubate, and though the humidity is 60%+ at the sensor I find the chicks hatch a bit on the dry side, or should I say they are not wet or slimy. I wonder how much these little differences affect the eggs respiration rate.