1st Hatching Journey - Little Giant

[007Sean]

A bathroom-sized incubator could hatch an awful lot of eggs! or maybe a few pteradactyl eggs.

Don't think a 40w heating element would work!

 

[TeresaW]

Because I don't have an auto turner, and I have places to be on certain days, as in gone all day, I'll now have to wait until late October to start my hatch. I'm really bummed. But I guess I'll live.

 

[TeresaW]

I may be getting some button chicks in a day or two! I found someone that just posted an ad on Craigslist that's less than 1.5 hrs. drive. They haven't replied back yet though.

So, today I bought a Producer's Pride chick brooder heater at Tractor Supply. There were no dimensions on the box. Most on Amazon are 10-16" long. But this one is massive. It's 18.5"x11.5". Probably could fit 40-50 baby buttons under it.

I'll still do a hatch from their eggs in late Oct. This way I'll get a better hatch rate than with shipped eggs. Should probably start a new thread when the time comes. In the mean time, I'll keep updating here.

 

[TeresaW]

I've been testing the heater plate. Its legs are set so it's the lowest to the ground possible. The switch is on the lowest heat setting, it only has low and high.

The Govee that I placed right under the middle of it over 40 min. ago is reading 98.8F, which is too hot, right? Also, the plate is so hot that I can't touch it directly for even half a second without burning my fingers.

 

[TeresaW]

Now it's reading 100.5F. I'm going to raise the legs up one notch higher.

 

[TeresaW]

98.7F at this height. There is only one more height setting with the included legs. However, there is an option for hanging from a chain, but I don't have a way to do that right now.

I need to get to bed, I'll experiment more later.

 

[007Sean]

I've been testing the heater plate. Its legs are set so it's the lowest to the ground possible. The switch is on the lowest heat setting, it only has low and high.

The Govee that I placed right under the middle of it over 40 min. ago is reading 98.8F, which is too hot, right? Also, the plate is so hot that I can't touch it directly for even half a second without burning my fingers.

Should be around 95°F at the chick's level in the brooder for the 1st week.

 

[TeresaW]

I'm getting some button babies tomorrow!!!!!

I finally heard back. My first email didn't go through and by the time he got my 2nd one, he said two people were ahead of me. But I just heard back that he has some left and I'll head over into PA tomorrow morning.

I plan to get 8, but we'll see. Some are 2 days old and some are 2 weeks old.

 

[muddy75]

I'm getting some button babies tomorrow!!!!!

I finally heard back. My first email didn't go through and by the time he got my 2nd one, he said two people were ahead of me. But I just heard back that he has some left and I'll head over into PA tomorrow morning.

I plan to get 8, but we'll see. Some are 2 days old and some are 2 weeks old.

Congratulations! Can’t wait to see pics!

 

[TeresaW]

I got 2 that were 2 days old, 3 a week old, and 3 two weeks old. They are all set up in their brooder and hiding under the heat plate.

I placed a couple of them in the water bowls (filled with pebbles) to show them, and they just ran off. I scattered some food on the floor to lead them to the food bowl. I hope they can figure it out, especially the two teeny ones. I pecked at the food and water with my fingernail too.

I'm exhausted and they are spooked from the long trip and transition. I'll get pics of them later after a nap.