Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[Peep-Chicken]

On Friday I loaded the bator with Tolbunt Polish and Jubilee Orpingtons.

Tolbunt Polish!

 

[NightOwl3]

Finally ordered all the parts we need off ebay to build our own 'bator'. DH got a free stryo cooler from work. My 13 year old son is looking forward to building one. Some of the parts are coming from china though, hoping it doesn't take forever for them to get here. We are hoping to set eggs by the end of the month or sooner.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

Built mine with parts from home depot. A light a water heater t stat a used computer fan. That home made thing cost me 15 bucks and i have a better hatch percentage in tthat one than the little giant on i bought

 

[mindylee]

I plugged in my lil giant still bator tonight. Gonna keep Iit going till tomorrow night empty to make sure temp stays steady. Since im a newbie with a bator, I have 2 thromontors in it. 1 In back and one up front. Have lil water channels filled and a baby jar with water in it. Front red plug pulled and now watching temperature. Back temp is higher then the front. So now trying to get both at same temp.

Still collecting eggs but have 43 so far.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

I plugged in my lil giant still bator tonight. Gonna keep Iit going till tomorrow night empty to make sure temp stays steady. Since im a newbie with a bator, I have 2 thromontors in it. 1 In back and one up front. Have lil water channels filled and a baby jar with water in it. Front red plug pulled and now watching temperature. Back temp is higher then the front. So now trying to get both at same temp.

Still collecting eggs but have 43 so far.

you might want to let it go two or three days if you just turned it on, from experience. you probably dont need the extra baby jar of water unless your place is really dry, i use an indoor out door thermometer that also registers the humidity i put the out door part in the incubator and then put the other one where i can monitor it. I usually get about 75-80 percent hatch out of my lil giant bator, i get 80-90 inn my homemade one that cost me 15 bucks go figure? also with two thermometers you will never get them to agree one will always be a degree or two off the other one, not sure if this is due to a square design and how air flows or if it is the influence of the outside temps etc. anyway good luck, hope all goes well, i have some due to start piping tonight, not sure if i will sleep...

 

[jlynnet]

Peep, after they hatch you can buy them!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Peep, after they hatch you can buy them!

.

 

[gladahmae]

I plugged in my lil giant still bator tonight. Gonna keep Iit going till tomorrow night empty to make sure temp stays steady. Since im a newbie with a bator, I have 2 thromontors in it. 1 In back and one up front. Have lil water channels filled and a baby jar with water in it. Front red plug pulled and now watching temperature. Back temp is higher then the front. So now trying to get both at same temp.

Still collecting eggs but have 43 so far.

take out both plugs. you don't need them. those eggs NEED airflow and lots of it. I would also say to ditch all of the water. The running adivce in the "big" incubating threads (and I experienced it myself over a few hatches) is to run your incubation with NO water and only add once your first egg pips or around day 18. If they don't evaporate enough over the first 18 days you may have fully formed chicks that are too BIG to get into position to hatch, and THAT really sucks. I kept the humidity for my first hatch at 30-32% for the first 18 days and only had 2 hatch. Once I stopped adding any water, my hatch rates went WAY up.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

take out both plugs.  you don't need them.  those eggs NEED airflow and lots of it.  I would also say to ditch all of the water.  The running adivce in the "big" incubating threads (and I experienced it myself over a few hatches) is to run your incubation with NO water and only add once your first egg pips or around day 18.  If they don't evaporate enough over the first 18 days you may have fully formed chicks that are too BIG to get into position to hatch, and THAT really sucks.  I kept the humidity for my first hatch at 30-32% for the first 18 days and only had 2 hatch.  Once I stopped adding any water, my hatch rates went WAY up.

agree about the airplugs i dont even know where mine are i have really dry area where my bator is so i do add water to mine but only when i think about it. I do try to have water in there right before lock down. I have 3piping right now! Of the 40 i set i have pulled 5 3 to check/crack open along the way and two that never took. We'll see how the rest go. These three are a few hours early i think

 

[jlynnet]

Maybe adding the water is what 's keeping my hatch rate down. When you add water at the end, do you want it at a certain % or just add?