Styrofoam Incubators Club

[throwntogether]

So is it ok to leave the eggs in the turner but turn it off instead of removing the turner and setting the eggs on the metal rack? What I did was line the bottom with cling wrap, for easier clean up, then fold some bar towels, they fit perfectly on the sides, and place them under the vent holes.

 

[tabinal]

So is it ok to leave the eggs in the turner but turn it off instead of removing the turner and setting the eggs on the metal rack?  What I did was line the bottom with cling wrap, for easier clean up, then fold some bar towels, they fit perfectly on the sides, and place them under the vent holes.

I yank the turner out on day 18 to keep them able to move without getting trapped. Not sure they can even hatch if held by the turner.

 

[Papachook]

Very cool. I have some of the miracle-gro crystals so I'm going to try that. What temperature are you shooting for? The only thing I would like to do different is use an analog thermometer so I don't have to open the incubator to turn on an electronic thermometer and can see the temp through the viewing window. Thanks for the tip.

 

[MeepBeep]

What temperature are you shooting for?  The only thing I would like to do different is use an analog thermometer so I don't have to open the incubator to turn on an electronic thermometer and can see the temp through the viewing window.  Thanks for the tip.

You aim for 99.5°F internal temp, I actually use a digital thermometer with a probe in the bottle, that picture was just an example i snapped off a while back...

This was my DIY foam build that I used last year and will probably use again this year as it's rock solid and does well... You can see the 'fake' egg in the lower left corner with the probe in it...

**Note the 38.7°C is the air temp as I was testing that electronic thermostat relay at the time, the heater was likely on or just shut off when the picture was snapped, thus the reason it's measuring 101.7°, the blue gauge you can't read is the one for the probe and it almost always dead on at 99.5° in my incubator, it only varies by about 0.2° up/down inside the fake bottle...

 

[coolchik]

I just read this and now I want to cry!! My silkie quit sitting. On her eggs at day 15, so I borrowed a friends styrofoam bator because I don't have one and I have no idea what I'm doing.... The humidity is hell to keep up with, I have a wet rag in there and it keeps spiking to 80, which I think is too high, but it dips to 79 if I take a vent plug out, which I think is too low. So I've sacrificed my whole day to inserting and removing this **** plug every 16 minutes. Is 80 ok at day 20? Is it going to hurt the chicks if the temp fluctuates a little bit or the humidity fluctuates? I'm only going by the built in thermometer and hydrometer too. I had no clue they could be that off. I think j killed my chicks

 

[MeepBeep]

Just leave it alone, 80% humidity won't hurt on day 20 and that assumes your gauge is actually accurate, if it's the build in gauge you might should assume it's completely wrong anyway...

IMO stop tinkering with it and let it do it's thing...

 

[coolchik]

Ok here's one more question... This morning at 6 a.m. It was 95. I turned it up a HALF MILLIMETER and it spiked and it was 105 when I got back up a 9... I freaked and tweaked it again.. Do I have cooked chicks? I'm worried it was too hot for them.... Everything was fine until I had to go into lockdown. When I opened that lid, everything went to hell.

 

[MeepBeep]

Ok here's one more question... This morning at 6 a.m. It was 95. I turned it up a HALF MILLIMETER and it spiked and it was 105 when I got back up a 9... I freaked and tweaked it again.. Do I have cooked chicks? I'm worried it was too hot for them.... Everything was fine until I had to go into lockdown. When I opened that lid, everything went to hell.

All you can do it wait it out, and see if they hatch, it all revolves around hot the internal egg got no the air temp...

IMO best to never adjust 'up' unless you have several hours to monitor it, leaving it at 95° or adjusting down and missing your mark is far better then spiking high...

 

[beetandsteet]

Just plugged in a Farm Innovations 4250, first time ever trying to hatch. Glad I got on here and read all the comments. Already have some good advice and I am just making sure everything is stable. Let's hope for some sort of success on my first attempt.

Hoping you have good success too! Please keep us updated on your hatch. Make sure the incubator has been running stable for a few days before you add eggs.

I hope you have purchased multiple thermometers, nothing worse then newbies depending on the installed one that is utter junk...

x2!

 

[beetandsteet]

Regardless of all the nonsense hyperbole that manufactures and some others like to preach, lock down is not necessary or required but if you decide to do it, temporarily opening the incubator to add water is perfectly acceptable and won't hurt the hatch at all... If you are overly concerned with humidity getting lost, get a spray bottle, fill it with warm water and mist the incubator inside before closing...

I'm curious as to what your views on "lockdown" are. What hatching humidity do you run at?