Do they need to be useful tips involving chickens?
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coops any type fowl incubation construction tips for coops etc.Do they need to be useful tips involving chickens?
[/QUOTE]It's a generic geared down 110V egg turner replacement motor found on Ebay (about $15) they are 1/240 RPM, so one revolution every four hours...
It has a 6mm D-Shaft, I had to remove the little nylon arm in had pressed on the shaft when it came...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631861/diy-thread-lets-see-your-inventions/1820#post_12800109
Ok lets see if I still remember how use this forum lol...Haven't been on here in years. Not anything real fancy but it is my diy project for this week.
I recently got a batch of button quail eggs to hatch. I knew they were small by the pics I've seen but to see them in person brings the tiny factor in more perspective....When I first open and unwrapped the eggs I felt like Olaf from the movie Frozen when he talks about his carrot nose being so cute like a itty bitty baby unicorn....
Well much like Olaf I tend to be all over the place due to my klutzability so my biggest fear was handling the eggs to turn them since I don't have egg turners. So I return to BYC to look for ideas for a diy turner. Got some great ideas but didn't have some of the much needed materials. Thus began my brainstorming(scary I know). While in deep thought I tend to look on to my fish friends in my aquarium. No seriously I will totally space/zone out and watch them...think me strange but I think they use fishlepathy on me to help me brainstorm. Well needless to say their fisholepathy works cause a little light bulb came on(just a itty bitty one).
In the aquarium hobby we use fluorescent light diffuser light panels as replacement/ tank covers. It is light weight, customizable and inexpensive. I happen to have scrap pieces tucked away in the corner just in case I found /needed a use for it. Long and behold I came up with my egg turner(with help from the fishlepathy of course).
I simply took a piece that will fit in the bator and snap out squares from the grid of light diffuser. Just big enough to the size of the quail eggs. This will the main part of the turner.
Next I went out to the garage to locate some fishing line(shhhh don't tell the fishlepathy gang) but could not find it.... So I found an alternative that would work...I think. It's garden ties by the spool(twist tie). I cut a long piece say 32" and then cut that in to equal halves. Any thoughts on where this is going yet?!
Don't worry I'll show ya
The diffuser panel with egg size squares punched out. I made a boo boo up top and broke edge of square out....whoops
Next came the garden ties/twist ties. I was hoping to use fishing line but I couldn't find it( I think my finned friends hid it from me).
I thread the twist tie thru the bator outside to inside. Kinda kinked up on me a bit but still got it thru without making a large hole in the Styrofoam(hence why fish line would be better). I thread the two halves on opposite sides of the bator.
Then I place my light diffuser rack into the bator and place it on the mesh screen. Took my twist ties from the inside and connected it to the sides of the rack closest to them.
Next I placed my eggs to be incubated in the inside my rack(I mean the rack).Closed the bator and took my egg turner for a test drive. Here it is all connected inside with my itty bitty eggs.
Just pull on the twist tie on the outside to pull the rack to one side or the other. The eggs roll right along. VOILA simple but effective egg turner!!!
I will note for those who use this method. The grid of the light diffuser does NOT break away clean. It leave plastic spurs which need to be filed or they might puncture/crack an egg. I used my variable high speed dremel that I use for etching to sand off the sharp spurs of plastic.
Note 2. When threading the twist ties/fish line make sure you thread it straight across the bator. I goofed here and my line isn't straight so when I pull the tray it moves at a slight angle. I just keep slight tension on the opposite line to keep it straight.
Note 3. Sometimes while turning the eggs in this matter some the eggs will end up w/ narrow end slightly resting on the plastic. To remedy this defiant behavior of the eggs I simply jiggle the tray by softly pulling on the twist ties till the eggs right themselves... A lot like me trying to get into my favorite jeans after the winter months. Just pull shimmy and jiggle till they are on.
This way might not be preferred by others but it was a quick and free solution. I already ready cracked two eggs prior making the turner due to my klutzability.... Now I can turn the eggs without handling them or opening the bator. I'm dreading the time to candle them.....
Ironically the light diffuser from Home Depot is described/labeled as egg crate....