4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[TMNfarm]

I gave it several hours as I've been home very infrequently this weekend... I have 3 (!) thermometers in there!!

 

[ozexpat]

I am new to this as well but here are my thoughts on mu 1602N:

The bator consists of a heating coil and a thermostat. Mine also has a fan and a turner.

A thermostat is just an on off switch, The heater does not have a rheostat that makes it adjustable - its either on or off. Adjusting the thermostat only tells the heater when to turn on and off. If the room changes temp, the bator should respond unless the swing is dramatic and it loses heat too fast. If the bator is cool and the red light is not on - you have your thermostat set wrong.

The turner motor generates heat but not enough to stop the heater coming on and off as it needs to.

My thermostsat has proven extremely reliable. It took some adjusting at first. It also varies slightly with humidity. I use a meade thermomemter and hygrometer with a remote sensor. If I dont touch the bator, The thermostat and hygrometer remain stable - no more than a degree F variation.

I got a second 1602N with a fan. My first is a hand me down - the second brand new - but both identical. I ran it all day with a second remote sensor in it. Once I got the temp to where I wanted it, it has just stayed there - again within 1 degree F.

I struggle with people not understanding thermostats all the time when they are hot and the AC is running - they drop the thermostat setting way down to make the room cool faster - it does not wook. It makes the room cool longer. The AC just runs at max till the thermostat tells it not to. Just like the bator. To get it right takes small steps and patience.

The wafer thermostat is the same wafer as in all styro bators.

 

[cochins1088]

I'm wanting to incubate more eggs than what I have. I'd like to try store eggs but we don't have a traders Joe's around here and I haven't ever seen a carton of eggs marked fertile. Do you guys know of any other stores that may have them? Anything that I should look for?

 

[TMNfarm]

I have mine in my downstairs bathroom because that is the room with the least temperature flucuation if we keep the door shut... which also has the added benefit of keeping my styrofoam loving cats away from the bator! Before I put the turner in there, I had it keeping temp after a day or so of making adjustments. I added the turner, but didn't move the bator or change the setting on the thermostat. I knew the turner motor would add some heat, but instead, after letting it run for about 9-10 hours, the temp was too low... About 95*, so I made a tiny adjustment (1/8 turn) and it jumped from 95* to 104.5*. That time it sat overnight. So this morning, I put water bags in there and turned it down 1/8 turn and left it for about 9 hours and the temp was still at 104.5*... (Now that I'm typing it out, I realize the water bags were probably holding the heat and keeping the temp more steady... good thing, right??... Told you, I'm new at this, plus sleep deprived from being on emergency call this weekend...) So I turned it down 1/4 turn and left it for 4 hours, and it was STILL 104.5*... So I turned it down this evening an entire turn becasue the smaller increments are not dropping my temp...

I guess I don't get where you are saying I don't understand how a thermostat works... I think I have a pretty good grasp on the concept of a thermostat. (Forgive me if I seem like I am getting testy... I told you, I'm sleep deprived right now...)

 

[janelle18]

It does. Always store and incubate aircell up

Thanks will do!!!


Question: IS fresher better?? I have enough eggs as of today to set, but i will be getting more eggs tommmorow and tuesday morning, should i replace the fresher eggs with the eggs I picked last week? If i just kept the ones i have the oldest ones would be 6 days old. Am i making sense? Not sure... ahaha

 

[The Chickeneer]

I'm wanting to incubate more eggs than what I have. I'd like to try store eggs but we don't have a traders Joe's around here and I haven't ever seen a carton of eggs marked fertile. Do you guys know of any other stores that may have them? Anything that I should look for?

You could buy them at Whole Foods, or you can go to a farmers market. If you cant find any there, then I would go to craigslist, someone is almost always selling some.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ok, this is kind of weird. I had my eggs in a little refrigerator at 49 degrees, but they felt so FREEZING cold, I took them out and put them in my bedroom. Now the bedroom is about 60 degrees right now (we don't heat usually) and I was checking on them to turn them again, and they still felt like ice cubes! They're little Serama eggs, but you'd swear they were egg shaped ice cubes! It's so weird! They've been out of the fridge since last night. Do your eggs feel colder than it seems like they should? LOL???

Anyway, I can't believe we get to set in 38.5 hours .........

Wait, waddaya mean I'm being too obsessive?

 

[ozexpat]

..

I guess I don't get where you are saying I don't understand how a thermostat works... I think I have a pretty good grasp on the concept of a thermostat. (Forgive me if I seem like I am getting testy... I told you, I'm sleep deprived right now...)

Whats the volume of the water in the water bags.

I apologize - the explanation of a thermostat was a general thing - not directed at an individual and as far as being testy - I spent half the weekend on STEMI pts so I feel your pain.

Good luck. Stay calm and incubate on.

 

[PerfectPoultry]

Ok, this is kind of weird.  I had my eggs in a little refrigerator at 49 degrees, but they felt so FREEZING cold, I took them out and put them in my bedroom.  Now the bedroom is about 60 degrees right now (we don't heat usually) and I was checking on them to turn them again, and they still felt like ice cubes!  They're little Serama eggs, but you'd swear they were egg shaped ice cubes!  It's so weird!  They've been out of the fridge since last night.  Do your eggs feel colder than it seems like they should?  LOL???

Anyway, I can't believe we get to set in 38.5 hours ......... e   Wait, waddaya mean I'm being too obsessive?

mine do too! They're sitting in normal room temp. And feel like ice cubes!

 

[cluck-cluck]

Well, I cleaned up my absent daughter's closet (she's off at college) and my incubator doesn't fit in there!

Darn it!!! There really isn't another place I could use... I guess cleaning UP the closet isn't enough, I need to clean OUT the closet. There is a book case in there..........it must go.........tomorrow, I wanna sleep, LOL