PH adjusted H2O for egg incubation medium

The sterile substrate egg incubation Concept

Does anyone Ph adjust the water that they use to moisten the egg incubation substrate.
One could use something as simple as white vinegar to accomplish such a thing.

I see some like to use moss as a incubation substrate, which has the desirable quality of inhibiting bacterial growth in the incubation media, which is attributable its to the naturally acidic nature of the moss.

Moss would tend to lower the water source Ph from above a neutral 7 PH factor (my tap water) to Somewhere in the Six point something range,maybe,probably lower, as compared to vermiculite, perlite,which are inert, Neither "base nor "acidic" and thus have no Ph altering qualities.

Bacteria,fungus and molds, all in all, do not like slightly acidic enviroments to live in.

By adjusting the substrate to a slightly acidic Ph level, 6.7 say, with 7 being neutral, incidences of unwanted micro-bio growths on eggs could / should be reduced by creating a hostile growth environment for the micro critters and by also not introducing the "evil axis of Spores" to the substrate in the first place.
I used to grow Button mushrooms and have this whole sterile , cross contamination concept thing down, for the most part, and believe its sterile media concepts have applications here.

The use of reverse osmosis water may be of benefit also. Spores can "sprout" and use the dissolved solids in water as a food source, (many locale variables) to survive on while they make there way towards the egg buffet.
Most micro bio critters would just love a nice tropical vacation in a warm damp place, talk about a great climate, low 80's F (28 ish C.), Lotsa of eggs to eat, ...they just wish the sun would shine more

So to carry this thought out,
as to not to cross contaminate the incubating eggs,
after wetting down your choice (vermiculite, perlite) with PH corrected water, one could put it in oven in a covered pan to sterilize at 350 degree Farenheit, 45 minutes or so, as to give it a good steaming /sterilization.
Cool before use, unless you like a good soft boiled egg

A possible way to battle an unseen enemy,
microbiology can freak you out when you start culturing samples from objects that are assumed "clean" including tap water.

Ph testers can be obtained cheaply at your local aquarium supply.
A very dilute sulphuric acid sold for correcting/ lowering the Ph level of hydroponic nutriet solutions could also be used as well, instead of vinegar, I would think / assume.

Is this mad science? what say yee?
~CowBoyWay~

Good science

CBW -- sounds like good, sound science to this English major, but I could only muster a B- in chemistry. That's when I knew that I wasn't going to be a veterinarian. English literature classes kept getting in the way!

You've hit on sme points worth thinking about. Only way I know to make this worthwhile is to PROVE some of it in the egg chambers this year. I've used distilled water when I added water to my perlite mixture; I've used distilleld water when I added water to the egg chambers that require same. Then I just dropped using it because I found no differences in hatch rates either way. In fact, some of the nasty looking clutches hatched as well as some of the better looking clutches.

But . . . this is something else. I'll try it in a couple thayeri clutches to see what happens; of course, I'll report the results on this fourm. That's the only way I know how to "do" science like this.

Shannon Hiatt
Texas