Incubators Anonymous

[WinklerFarms]

I know! My wife just rolled her eyes when I told her about it. She asked me how the heck am I ever going to fill it and I just looked at her and said "I guess I need more chickens!"

You CAN'T fill that thing!  What and how would you grow them, brood them sell them?    That is A LOT of chicks.  You need to take orders and then hatch as usual..... maybe to sweeten the deal to get it, offer to hatch for the members for 25% of the hatch..... keeps it full gives you some to sell......  

I know I can't fill it, but it would be fun. I don't actually see me using it too much. The electric bill would skyrocket and with that much empty space I would always feel like I had to get more eggs in it.

 

[DMRippy]

Too Funny. I was just checking out this thread as I was thinking I need to join it and who do I see? DMRippy!

Saw some very nice BLRW at Topsfield and then your ad. Just HAD to bid on your eggs, too funny! Now I'm ordering different eggs from a farm in OH as if I have my incubator going for one group of eggs

I might as well fill the whole thing up. Wouldn't want to waste any electricity!

 

[cadams]

I hit the motherlode for an IA member. I went and looked at an incubator last night that is owned by the local pheasant club. They do not use it anymore and haven't for a few years. One of the members has it at his house and said they might GIVE it to me as long as I promise to hatch some pheasants for them every spring. This bator is huge! It has four turning racks which hold 9 egg trays on each. Thats a total of 1728 eggs single stacked. And this one can be double stacked for a grand total max egg capacity of 3456 eggs! All it needs is a new thermostat and to be put together. I will find out this weekend if the club approves it.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Awesome, but like you said rather impractical for the power consumption unless you have probably 500 eggs in there. The mass of the eggs if it were filled would also help to hold the temps more constant tho. Im thinking once this new one im working on is complete it will hold about 400. but as of now that's still a rough guess. still more guts to pull out and wires to trace switches to move etc. but then again i needed a good project lol.

 

[ki4got]

Awesome, but like you said rather impractical for the power consumption unless you have probably 500 eggs in there. The mass of the eggs if it were filled would also help to hold the temps more constant tho. Im thinking once this new one im working on is complete it will hold about 400. but as of now that's still a rough guess. still more guts to pull out and wires to trace switches to move etc. but then again i needed a good project lol.

good point... and i have a suggestion, to make it more efficient. you can always get a bunch of those plastic easter eggs, drill a small hole in the pointy end and fill with plaster of paris. i use those as a 'heat sink' in a relatively empty incubator, and if the power goes out they hold heat a lot longer than a real egg does IMO. not that i worry about power outages, i've got mine on battery backup, with generator backup if the batteries get low. LOL

i've also used blown natural egg shells, but haven't had good luck filling them as they tend to crack easily while the plaster's still wet.

 

[gladahmae]

or use baby food jars filled with water! you must know SOMEONE with a baby, right?

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

good point... and i have a suggestion, to make it more efficient. you can always get a bunch of those plastic easter eggs, drill a small hole in the pointy end and fill with plaster of paris. i use those as a 'heat sink' in a relatively empty incubator, and if the power goes out they hold heat a lot longer than a real egg does IMO. not that i worry about power outages, i've got mine on battery backup, with generator backup if the batteries get low. LOL

i've also used blown natural egg shells, but haven't had good luck filling them as they tend to crack easily while the plaster's still wet.

Good idea.

 

[ki4got]

funniest thing in the world today... my coturnix quail are just starting to lay, i got 2 regular eggs, and one a bit larger than a pea (about 1/4" across and abit longer). LOL figured it was just clear inside, but when i cracked it, it had the teeniest yolk! maybe 1/8" across. wish my camera was working!

 

[Arielle]

Too Funny. I was just checking out this thread as I was thinking I need to join it and who do I see? DMRippy!

Saw some very nice BLRW at Topsfield and then your ad. Just HAD to bid on your eggs, too funny! Now I'm ordering different eggs from a farm in OH as if I have my incubator going for one group of eggs

I might as well fill the whole thing up. Wouldn't want to waste any electricity!

Yup, you are on the right thread!! I have some good looking cuckoo marans and OE from Donna. Love the blue copper look myself. Much prettier in person than in pics!

I"m just lurking--my incubator has been shut off for a few months now--just have a few mouths to feed these days. I'll continue to enjoy the hatching by everyone else until the spring Easter Hatch athon. THen I'll load up again.

 

[jandrusrn]

Aaaaah it is indeed good to be back. IA kids, I've missed you. No more hatching for us these days but certainly a great thread to chat around.