Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long! - Page 924

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Originally Posted by The Sheriff 

Correction: I only paid $750 for the Brinsea cabinet incubator. The day after I ordered mine, the 190 model went up to $850 because they now have the "cooling mode" which allows you to set it so the heat goes off for short periods of time. I didn't care about that feature anyway so I am quite happy saving $100!  My four Cream Legbars due Saturday are in the hatching tray, 37 Icelandics, 1 Cream Legbar, and 9 Breda eggs are in the incubation trays on staggered hatch dates. My Brinsea Octagons are sold but I am keeping the Hovabator as a blow dry station for new chicks before they go into the brooder.

Did you get the 190 or the 360 model ? I ended up getting the GQF because it did 270 eggs for about the price of the 190 egg Brinsea and I just couldn't bring myself to do the 360 for the 900+  I almost have it filled up but this being the first time I am so hoping  I'm not doing it wrong

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Originally Posted by wolftracks 

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Originally Posted by hennypenny99 

I don't know if this is because they are shipped eggs or not?  This is my first hatch since last summer and I am still kindof new at this.  I do know that my local eggs hatch much better than the shipped ones but then I see people on here that have 100% hatches on shipped eggs.

 

Has anyone made an incubator out of a styrofoam cooler?  I tried to make one last night because I thought it might be nice for hatching only when I have staggered hatches.  I have a couple of eggs that are a few days behind the others.  What I did was cut the top off and install a 5x7 picture frame glass for a viewing window then I cut a hole for an extention cord to go inside and plugged into the extension cord is a light bulb adapter and I put a 25 watt bulb in there.  I cut holes in the sides for air and I am running about 105 on temperature.  So I cut a few more air holes and it didnt cool down.  I probably need a smaller bulb but they don't sell any lower wattage bulbs than 25 that will fit in a standard light socket.  I thought about getting a night light but it says no larger than 4 watts....

 

Any suggestions?

 

Oh and I am so excited to be seeing hatching chick pictures.  This is my favorite part!!!
 

 

Adding to what Sunny said.You need the thermostate now. You can buy a cheapy at HD or Lowes for less than 10 bucks. They are made for hot water heaters. Make sure that you connect your light source to the thermostat so the light will turn off when it reaches the correct temp. Leave a 1/4 to 1/2 space behind the thermostat when you place it on the wall of the cooler and get it as close to the bulb as you can without touching it. If it isn't close you'll get too big of a temp swing.

 

 

Did you poke holes in the bottom of the styrofoam box??? Air flow upward, out the top holes, pulling fresh air in the bottom holes.  Fresh air is important to the development of the eggs, especially at hatch time. ANd it cools the temps because the room temp is cooler.

A water heater thermostat is easy to install. But you need to buy the right one. I think it is called a single pole. If you can't find instructions to wire it, PM me.

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Originally Posted by countrygirl911 

ok birds just cherped out side and my heart skipped a beat tinking that i have chriping from bator and then i realize i am at work and just the birds outside lol

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Originally Posted by BBAcres 

Sitting at work worried about the temp in my incubator. This is too much!! LOL hopefully my dad will be home soon to check it for me. He was not happy with me doing a dry hatch. I got a lecture last night about how he never hatched eggs like that and I'm crazy for reading it online and yada yada yada LOL. Bless him.

Hopefully you can show him other ways work too. So I'm hoping a few hatch for you!!!
 

Wooo hooo!  I have a egg wiggling! LOL  I know my friends all think I am really strange because the last time our high school reunion group met I canceled out because my chicks were due.  Only the people on this forum can really understand how exciting it is to hatch eggs. 

Funny think is the egg that is moving is one I put in one day later than the others......hummmm wonder why.....

Wow, all this pipping and hatching....you're killing me.  My back already hurts from standing bent over the bator looking and listening, nothing happening though. Patience, I haz none. 

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Originally Posted by chicken fever 

Ok guys n gals, first time Hatcher here! And I'm excited yet wiggin out all at once. I put my eggs in the Bator on the 17th at exactly 12:00pm. So is my hatch day tomorrow or Saturday? No pips yet but saw my speckled maran egg moving! Can't wait! Any advice on anything is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! Happy hatching all!

Hands off and fingers crossed That's the best advise I have. Leave be and rejoice.

Wobble and pip are all normal a few days early, your actual timed hatch would be Saturday at noon as you set 21 days earlier but if you've ever been through a pregnancy- time is not your choice it's theirs!

If your overall hatch is early by a day (friday for you) then keep that same thermometer and do all the same things you just did only read it as high by a degree; i.e. lower temp by one degree next hatch with same thermometer reading it where you have it placed now- top of eggs, bottom of tray, middle....where ever you have it.

ETA:

Exception to this is if your eggs are bantam or just small pullet eggs in general. Those will hatch earlier naturally.

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Originally Posted by champer 

Wow, all this pipping and hatching....you're killing me.  My back already hurts from standing bent over the bator looking and listening, nothing happening though. Patience, I haz none. 

My first two hatches we had the bator on the kitchen table and hovered over it and adjusted the temp the whole time...sadly only two chicks hatched each time.  We then moved the bator downstairs, left it alone, didn't candle at all and had the best hatches!  So now, I just "set it and forget it" and it is so much easier! 
 

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Originally Posted by BBAcres 

So far nothing for me. No pips, no chirps no movements. :( Reading peoples hatches and pips and hearing sounds has me soooo anxious!!! I hope I didn't mess this up!

x2
 

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Originally Posted by Wisher1000 

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Originally Posted by dsqard 

For those of you who are experiencing "hatching envy" (and I am one of "those people" ) please DO NOT PANIC!!!!!!  You will see people reporting pips, cheeping and hatched chicks today and tomorrow.  You have nothing to "worry" about until later Saturday.  If your temps were running a little low, they may hatch late.  Do not think that ALL IS LOST.  Hatching day isn't until Saturday.  I am only stating this because I went through this on my first hatch.  I was beating myself up all Saturday thinking I had messed something up since the eggs were just sitting in the incubator looking like they had just been set.  Remember, breathe, sit on your hands and DON"T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!   BTW my temps ran low my first hatch and I had eggs hatching from Saturday evening until the following Wednesday.

Dsqard - Could you possibly copy this and re-post it every, oh..... I don't know ........half hour or so through Monday or Tuesday?

Yes that would be very helpful!

Okay I folded a load of laundry and ground a few pounds of flour. Went to lunch and window shopping with my mom, came back and looked at the incubator and still nothing!

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Originally Posted by Noncentzter 

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Originally Posted by champer 

Wow, all this pipping and hatching....you're killing me.  My back already hurts from standing bent over the bator looking and listening, nothing happening though. Patience, I haz none. 

 

My first two hatches we had the bator on the kitchen table and hovered over it and adjusted the temp the whole time...sadly only two chicks hatched each time.  We then moved the bator downstairs, left it alone, didn't candle at all and had the best hatches!  So now, I just "set it and forget it" and it is so much easier! 
 

 

I was thinking about moving our bators for the same reason. I fussed over the temps the entire time. I was ok with a fluctuation but not as much as I was getting. I only had 8 chicks hatch and the last 4 eggs just went into lock down. Out of 45 eggs set I didn't have a good hatch at all. In fact I just came back from the dining room after adjusting the temp cause it had gotten too high.

I really don't know where I would put them though. The temps right now leave it freezing cold at night and pretty warm in the house during the day, which changes the temps in my bator. Only other place is my shop/chicken coop and it is consistently cold in there, but sometimes I wonder if it is too cold. *sigh*

2 are almost through!!!!!!!!! 

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Originally Posted by Arielle 

 

Did you poke holes in the bottom of the styrofoam box??? Air flow upward, out the top holes, pulling fresh air in the bottom holes.  Fresh air is important to the development of the eggs, especially at hatch time. ANd it cools the temps because the room temp is cooler.

 

A water heater thermostat is easy to install. But you need to buy the right one. I think it is called a single pole. If you can't find instructions to wire it, PM me.

 

  
 

 

Hopefully you can show him other ways work too. So I'm hoping a few hatch for you!!!
 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone, I will call Ace Hardware and see if they have one.  I am not using the homemade incubator I just wanted to see if I could do it cheap.  I didn't poke holes in the bottom or the top.  If I poke holes in the bottom I guess I should set it on blocks or something because I had it on the floor on carpet.  I may have to message about wiring instructions.  My homemade trial bator probably isn't very safe because I couldnt even get the plug to go into the extention cord.  I just shoved it on there as hard as I could.  It's just a test and I can see myself losing alot of sleep with it.  I just called Ace and they don't sell them but we are going to my mom's for Easter and they have a Home Depot there. 

For these eggs they may just have to keep turning during lockdown or I will have to go cough up $40 more for another LG.... Hmmmm I wonder if my cousin is working today.....  I could use her 15% employee discount plus our Tax number and get one for $34...  I know... I'm so bad.