Do eggs create their own heat?

[Scales Zoo]

If you read my fridge incubator thread you will know I had a problem with a difference in temperature between the top and bottom rubbermaid. (the bottom one was warmer)

The HCS unit had fixed the problem (by adding more heat to the top tub), but I had not planned to keep it there permanantly.

So, I have been experimenting, and have done almost everything I can think of to fix my problem with the bottom tub being warmer.

I then looked at both tubs and wondered what was different between the 2 (other than placement) - and why would the bottom one be warmer (I beleive I fixed any radiant heat problems I might have had)

Then I realized, there are 26 eggs in the one container, and 14 in the other. When I open the tub with 26 eggs, the obvious warmer air rushes out.

I remember discussing something about eggs with others in the past. The protein changes and metabolic processes going on in the eggs create some heat. I also think I remember reading something about this and it's effects on maternal incubation with Pythons and in gravid snakes.

So, do you think tha the 26 burm eggs in a tall rubbermade tub actually increase the temp in there to be 1.5 F over other temperatures in the incubator (and other tub). I've only got 2 very small holes in the tub.

Roy? Jeff? Anyone? What do you think?

Ryan

[Tim_Cranwill]

I would say that almost everything gives off heat/energy. I heard that in an experiment, scientists tried to achieve absolute zero and they found that even the table would give off heat.

In the case of a "living growing" egg, I would say that is would expel energy in the form of heat, be it 0.01F or a whole degree.

But what do I know?

[BoidKeeper]

According to the incubation section in the Complete Chondro they do. I'll find the exact spot after the game and post what he says about that.
Cheers,
Trevor

[chamitch]

yea everthing living gives off heat. even if its just little change in chemical compisitions it releases heat. so i woudl expect the closer to hatching the more heat will be put off. (think of compost or brewign home brew)

[Scales Zoo]

Originally posted by BoidKeeper
According to the incubation section in the Complete Chondro they do.

Actually, just got of the phone with someone who told me that GTP eggs have been shown to give off heat.

I'd love to read what it says, that is one book I don't have that I want to get in the future (probably after we get GTP's haha)

Ryan

[Scales Zoo]

And another thing I thought about, is like Chamitch said, the amount of heat given off would be likely to change through developement. I will have to watch the temps in the tubs.

People who incubate in large aquariums with open tubs would not notice it, but for us who have been using closed tubs inside a set incubator - the temperature in the egg containers might vary, and change throughout incubation.

I am designing an aquarium water heated incubator for python eggs as we speak, with open tops and egg crate grating. (I don't have a large aquarium, so I will likely build and seal something that will fit my tubs or styro fish boxes). In the last few weeks I've talked to quite a few people who now only use this method for python eggs, and are finding it works much better than their older methods.

Ryan

[JDouglas]

Interesting thread Ryan. I was wondering the same thing when incubating my IJCP eggs becuase i ran my incubator for months at 88.0F without any fluctuations. After putting the eggs in the temp went up 0.4 degrees in the egg chamber. Another thing I noticed is that a dead rotting egg releases quite a bit of heat. I had one egg decompose and the thrmometer probe was close to it. According to the thermometer probe it raised the temp in the egg box about 1.1F. After removing the very unpleasant egg the temp went back down.

[Scales Zoo]

Yes Jaremy, now that you mention it I think I've heard about the rotten egg thing before, but had forgotten.

I hope I don't get to experience that first hand with any eggs in this clutch.

[crocdoc]

eggs do give off metabolic heat. I ran my incubator for several weeks before adding eggs and the temperature went up after I did. The conditions were the same prior to the eggs being added, down to the same egg boxes with perlite, water etc)

[Jeff_Favelle]

If the incubator is on a thermostat, how can the temperature go up?

Yes, eggs give off heat, but if the incubator is on a thermostat, then the heat given off by the heater will just be lessened. Won't it?

[Tim_Cranwill]

Yes, but the question was "Do eggs create their own heat?".

You would only hope that your temperature controlling device would make the appropriate adjustments.

[Scales Zoo]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
If the incubator is on a thermostat, how can the temperature go up?

Jeff, the incubator's thermostat is in the incubator (old fridge), not in the rubbermaids (with a lid and only 2 small holes). It controls the heat inside the incubator, which was pre-set at 89.5.

Since I have these eggs set up as I do, I notice the 26 big burm eggs giving off heat, because the temp in that rubbermaid is higher (up to 90.7, have since lowered the temp in the incubator to lower that temp) The temp in the egg box maintained 91 while we were at Calgary, while the temp in the incubator was holding at 89 (I had lowered it a bit, because the temp in the egg box was higher)

With smaller eggs I might not have noticed it. There are 26 big burm eggs in a fairly sealed tall rubbermaid. Burm eggs are huge!

If I had the rubbermaid in a water bath incubator (like I will next time - building one now) - I'd have more holes in the side of the rubbermades (and egg crates and water), and might not have noticed it, as the extra temps would have seeped out of the holes in the rubbermaids, and into the incubator - where, like you said, it would compensate and not raise temps.

Ryan

[crocdoc]

Jeff, the thermostat probe isn't in with the eggs, it's in the centre of the incubator, so it makes adjustments only when the whole incubator increases in temperature.

I had thermometer probes in each of the egg containers and next to the thermostat probes. At the same thermostat setting, the temperature in the egg boxes went up after eggs were added.

The misunderstanding is my fault, as I wasn't specific enough when I said that the temperature had gone up, as I meant in the egg boxes, rather than the whole incubator

[crocdoc]

haha, Ryan, you must have posted at exactly the same time I did, but pipped me to the post (excuse the pun)! Now it looks like I just repeated what you said, but typed it all down in a minute.

[Scales Zoo]

1 minute before!

You kept it shorter but said the same thing - I added more boring detail, to explain it to poor Jeffrey.

Ryan