Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Avlana]

Very cool This reminds me of a contact incubator. Brinsea makes one. Very expensive! Good luck and keep updating! I'm very curious. I think trying to be as natural as possible is the best way to go.

 

[aussie pete]

hi Jules,following to see how this turns out
-over here in aust ,seems the most successful hatches(95-100 % ) in fan forced incubators- r steady humidity at 45% rite thru to the end ,no adjustment for lockdown.
given that i think u r on the rite track ,some humidity ,steady temp,hand roll eggs.

my best hatch was 100% in a still air (plastic),hand rolled eggs,never checked humidity,just put in 1 cup water,wrapped whole incubator in a old sleeping bag to hold temp steady.

after that, bought an expensive fancy incubator & have been chasing a good result ever since lol,
guess we humans just have to make things complicated

wishing u a great result , cheers Pete

 

[elorraine52]

What a great idea, I'll be following with interest!!

 

[Beekissed]

hi Jules,following to see how this turns out
-over here in aust ,seems the most successful hatches(95-100 % ) in fan forced incubators- r steady humidity at 45% rite thru to the end ,no adjustment for lockdown.
given that i think u r on the rite track ,some humidity ,steady temp,hand roll eggs.

my best hatch was 100% in a still air (plastic),hand rolled eggs,never checked humidity,just put in 1 cup water,wrapped whole incubator in a old sleeping bag to hold temp steady.

after that, bought an expensive fancy incubator & have been chasing a good result ever since lol,
guess we humans just have to make things complicated

wishing u a great result , cheers Pete

Pete!!!!!

It's so good to see you!!! Your words give me great encouragement! I knew going into this that it was a weird thing compared to conventional controls but I was counting on the construction and nature of the nest to help me control ambient variations and humidity to a good degree...that seems to be working. Most of the tweaks initially were to get the eggs to incubation temps and then the temps were tweaked to hold steady but since then I've had variances of only 1* either way as ambient temps shift.

Last night the temps dropped to 40* in my bedroom window(negative temps outside and is currently 5*) and it's that temp in there right now. Before bed I had applied the "hen" cushion on the nest, turned up the thermostat to #3 and placed insulation between the box and the window. I checked temps throughout the night and the coldest part of early morning~the thermometer stayed rock steady on 100* all night long and is still on that even as I type.

 

[ocap]

great news !!!
don't know what I will do when you are gone for two days and don't have any updates.

 

[Beekissed]

great news !!!
don't know what I will do when you are gone for two days and don't have any updates.

Pray. Praying would be good......

I'll never know if the temps had spiked or dropped in all that time and I'll just have to go on faith that they held steady in this system. I'll not be able to add water or turn eggs in that time either, so it could affect things but I'm counting on the fact that a broody's nest is not all that touchy and things will be fine.

 

[Aacre]

For while you're away! If you're anything like me, you will be going crazy wondering if your temps are holding or if they are spiking. For some reason, I don't really worry as much if the temperature drops, but if they get too hot is what I worry about. I was out for the day yesterday, and by the time I got home, I was a nervous breakdown ready to happen!

OK, not quite that bad, but I was quite nervous! I will pray that it holds at the right temperatures! These DIY incubators add quite the challenge, in my experience! Mine is a 10 gallon aquarium incubator that I threw together. Some days, I have a well controlled environment, and other times, not so much. But it's fun anyway! And a lot cheaper- at least if I stick to just the backyard chicken eggs! have a blessed day.

 

[enola]

When Mike spent so much time in the hospital last spring, sometimes the eggs in my incubator didn't get turned for a couple of days at a time. At least 1/2 of them still hatched. So don't give up!

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you! And to you as well with a blessed day! I don't worry anymore...my body tries to worry sometimes but I've got a handle on such things now with the help of the HS, and now I have learned to give those things to He who has control over all things. I'm learning to just......let go. It's quite freeing and I highly recommend it! The only thing I can control is my response to fearful or anxiety producing situations and even then I need help from above.

I once heard that worry was like rocking in a rocking chair....a whole lot of motion but no one is really getting anywhere.

First egg turning and shuffle to the middle was done just now, which dropped temps temporarily~eggs were disturbed as little as possible from the surface of the nest. When feathers were replaced over eggs, a light mist was applied with a misting bottle to the feather layer...very light~two tiny sprays only. I figured that would simulate the moisture produced by the hen with her activity and when she moved upward on the eggs to reposition them the humidity from the air would also be introduced.

Took a pic of the eggs while uncovered. The total process only produced a drop in temps of approx. 3* and only for approx. 1-2 min.

 

[Beekissed]

When Mike spent so much time in the hospital last spring, sometimes the eggs in my incubator didn't get turned for a couple of days at a time. At least 1/2 of them still hatched. So don't give up!

I figure this early on in the incubation process it may not hurt the embryos to not be turned each day. When broodies turn eggs it's not the all in, all out process that we all do in incubators...it's a light nudge of the beak here and there and one has to wonder if each egg gets turned fully each day and I imagine that they don't get fully turned 3 times a day as is recommended. The most characteristic trait of a broody that I've noticed is her extreme immobility on that nest, so maybe she does these things more often at night?