Incubating eggs to hatch about August 8th

[TeaChick]

I hope this image is pretty self explanatory, yeah I know it's rough, did it real quick with the kids hanging on me... Top view looking down and a side view...



Basically you make a box around the fan/light/thermostat, with an opening on each end (screened over) this box has a solid bottom to stop heat from going down, as well as a front wall to stop heat form going forward... What this does is force all the air to blow across the light bulb and also across the thermostat... Ideally the thermostat should be mounted a few inches away from the light, with the bottom metal part of the thermostat facing the light... Fan should run 24/7, if you look at the light blue arrows they show air flow, this will create a constant swirl of air in the incubator and equalize temps throughout, between the fan running 24/7 and the fact the light is in a box, almost all 'hot' spots will be eliminated... Do make sure there is some space around the light, you don't want to start fires, I highly recommend a porcelain light fixture over what you have...

And maybe this will help, this is a picture of my cheap hatcher one night build, it uses basically the same design, but a little fancier basically just knocked together a box around the light/fan/thermo out of sheet metal...

This is perfect!!! I totally understand, and I think I can do it myself!!! (although, DH is probably going to want to help) Anyway, yes, your image is very self-explanatory and your pictures help as well. Thank you so much for this!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

This is perfect!!!  I totally understand, and I think I can do it myself!!!  (although, DH is probably going to want to help)  Anyway, yes, your image is very self-explanatory and your pictures help as well.  Thank you so much for this!!!

I have a question. What's a DH?

 

[MeepBeep]

I have a question. What's a DH?

Dear Husband

 

[calichicken]

This is perfect!!! I totally understand, and I think I can do it myself!!! (although, DH is probably going to want to help) Anyway, yes, your image is very self-explanatory and your pictures help as well. Thank you so much for this!!!

LOL...sounds like my situation but reversed..DH project and me trying to help

 

[TeaChick]

I have a question. What's a DH?

Dear Husband

Some women say the D can stand for other words, but it's always "Dear" when I say it (no matter what he's done).

LOL...sounds like my situation but reversed..DH project and me trying to help

Oh, we get plenty of that around here too. Since I got the chickens, he uses the minions to carry out his plots and schemes. Most of them involve yard work and I don't do that his way, so the minions work out better (they have to obey). Mwahahahahaha!!!

If you could see how things work in our house, you'd know how funny that is. Sorry. Half the kids are teenagers and one is a preschooler and the other is in between; they've all figured out (for the most part) how to only do what they want to do and how to get away with what they didn't do.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Awsome instructions Meep!

How are everyones chickies getting along?

Mine are growing so fast, esp. The ducklings. I will be expanding the brooder this weekend, hopefully, if the locl furnature store has a box for me.

 

[Alaskan]

Awsome instructions Meep!

How are everyones chickies getting along?

Mine are growing so fast, esp. The ducklings. I will be expanding the brooder this weekend, hopefully, if the locl furnature store has a box for me.

dump I say, the dump!

I love the dump, it is so awesome!

Free wood and plywood pieces galore! But yep, you probably just need a big cardboard box.

I will often get two or even three cardboard boxes and join them together.

 

[MeepBeep]

How are everyones chickies getting along?

Growing fast, I integrated some 1 week later hatched peas and chickens with the Aug. 8 babies just the other day and no fussing or harassment from the older ones...

Two more peas due to hatch overnight/tomorrow... And I'll be setting 6 more chicken eggs tonight or tomorrow once the peas hatch...

And even though most peas are done for the season, my local suppliers hens just fired back up after a few weeks of nothing, so I have more peas being set as well...

Don't quote me on these numbers but off the top of my head so far hatched out this season, 18 Guineas, 25 Peafowl, 5 full sized chickens and maybe a dozen bantams... Going to be a busy fall as I totally revamp the chicken coop, moving the peas (and maybe guineas) into the 2nd story of the coop, turning the first floor into a big chicken coop with a larger 30 x 16 x 12 foot caged (secure) 2 story chicken run area, as well as flight netting about a 1/2 acre of pasture for the birds to be out during the day supervised... Also tossing up the idea of turning half of my pull barn into a aviary for the peas so I have plenty of indoor room for breeding... But that will have to wait a year or so...

 

[Alaskan]

me, I am ecstatic! I have an over 50% hatch rate on my shipped quail.

I had one that hatched with messed up leg joints. Everything looked OK, but the knee joints were a bit swollen, and the legs wouldn't move the way they should when I played with them. I was thinking, if they still moved right, or popped back into place, I could splint, but no such luck.

I hate dispatching chicks, and have a horrid time doing it, and never do it well........ so, please don't hate me.....I know it is super wrong...

........but I thought that since he was so small...... anyway (if you are squeamish, like me, close your eyes) anyway, I took him out to my Muscovy drake. I called "here drake, drake" so he knew he was getting a treat. He was very good, and much more merciful that I am. He snapped that tiny quail right up and in way less than a second it was over.

but

 

[Puddin Fluff]

dump I say, the dump!

I love the dump, it is so awesome!

Free wood and plywood pieces galore!  But yep, you probably just need a big cardboard box. 

I will often get two or even three cardboard boxes and join them together.

Since I don't hatch frequently, the cardboard boxes are easily disposed of once we are done. If I did it on a regular basis, I would make a perminate one.

me, I am ecstatic!  I have an over 50% hatch rate on my shipped quail.

I had one that hatched with messed up leg joints.  Everything looked OK, but the knee joints were a bit swollen, and the legs wouldn't move the way they should when I played with them.  I was thinking, if they still moved right, or popped back into place, I could splint, but no such luck.

I hate dispatching chicks, and have a horrid time doing it, and never do it well........ so, please don't hate me.....I know it is super wrong...    ........but I thought that since he was so small...... anyway (if you are squeamish, like me, close your eyes) anyway, I took him out to my Muscovy drake.  I called "here drake, drake" so he knew he was getting a treat.  He was very good, and much more merciful that I am.  He snapped that tiny quail right up and in way less than a second it was over. 

but

   

Sorry about the baby. I would never have thought about doing that but I think it is a good way. I too hate the dispatching part.