Another incubator! **PIC HEAVY**

[2txmedics]

lol....ahhhhh...Terri Terri...the Inventor...let me know if it works...yes heat rises...but another hole in the bator...more chance to lose temp/humidity...u know that....

Im heading to bed, if I can walk away from BYC.....

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
Will do.. Not sure how I am going to do it though since I have the cooler surrounded on 3 sides by cardboard.. LOL.. I did find that using a blow drying raises the temp a little too (as long as I don't blow it directly on the eggs and on low) so, maybe when i candle, I will do that just to give it a quick boost if the temp starts dropping too much.. It will take several minutes for the temp in the eggs to start going down so I don't see how a small fluctuation in the temp will hurt it.. And, I know there is a humidity problem in there but candling eggs, they lose humidity anyway.. I think I read somewhere that the hen will get off the next fro anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes each day to do her thing anyway.. I only have 18 eggs (technically 14) so it won't take that long to candle them and then I can heat the GB up really good before i put the eggs back in...

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

OK.. Giving everyone an update.. I didn't sleep very much but honestly, it had nothing to do with the eggs and my obsession with checking the GB every 10 minutes...

My dogs kept barking at who knows *what* shadow or speck of dust in the room... But, I was actually glad they did wake me up because as most of you know, I have to watch my GB very carefully for temp fluctuations because my house is never a steady temp and the GB is very thin but surrounded by cardboard to insulate it... So, I insulated it last night with more styrofoam and went to bed.. Temp was great when i went to bed.. But, I found that because i moved the GB to another part of the room (in a corner that is less drafty) I didn't need so much insulation at night.. Ok... This is definately a learning experience for me... So, i woke up at 12:30 and the temp was 103.2

.. Of course, my GB is still air and I had been to sleep only about 30 - 45 minutes at the very most so I opened the bator, let some heat out (doing dry incubation so humidity is steady at 33% even with the door open) opened one of the vent holes on top and put the "door" I have for the window down a little so I would be losing heat through the glass but not a whole lot.. The temp went down to 101.7 and i went to bed again.. When i woke up at 3:30, the temp was steady at 101.2.. So, in 3 hours, it only fluctuated 1/2 degree.. Yeah.. I can handle that... So, when i go to bed tonight, I know that I need to keep 1 vent hole on top open and the "door" open just a bit so it don't get too hot in there... When i got up this morning, it was 100.8.. Still a good temp.. As i said, the humidity is steady holding at 33%.. I am planning on candling on day 7 and then again on day 18 right before going into lockdown.. Or should I do it on day 17?

Goddess

 

[barnyardbonanza]

Quote:
"GB"... Yeah!! I like that!!!

I did find one thing bad.. At night because my house does not stay one temp because we have no central air (just 3 ac units throughout the house) and DH likes to keep them all on 70, it gets warm during the day but then at night it gets chilly.. So, the GB don't warm up fast and tends to lose heat quickly.. So, I insulated the GB for nighttime and then just take the insulation off in the morning.. which seems to be working.. But also, if i open the BG, WOW!! Heat gone! Poof! So, because i hadn't even thought of this before I set the eggs at night when it's the coolest in the house, the temp was down to 94 when i put the eggs in and rising ever sooooooo ssssssllllllllooooooowwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy..... LOL... So what I did was got my hair dryer out and put just a little bit of warm air back in there... The temp has leveled out and is now at a nice comfortable 100.2 and the humidity is 42... Sooooo... we shall see what happens!!

Goddess

I was wondering if adding a heating pad and a timer for nights. You would have to watch it of course to make sure it doesn't get up too high, but if the heating pad has 3 settings then try it on low first. I also thought of possibly wiring to a thermostat to kick it on and off accordingly. Keepin' my fingers crossed that all works out and you have a nice hatch at the end!

 

[2txmedics]

What did I tell you....Had to watch your GB *Ghetto Bator* for those who dont know...

...remember when you first put eggs in to set...your going to have a temp rise/humidity also...eggs have fluid in them...fluid brings humidity...it will happen like that for the first I think 12hrs mine did that. ...My LG...then it stablized....

and good morning Terri....Im in and out today...doctor appts....

 

[GreenGoddess]

Yeah, you did tell me that but being that I don't have the very best GB out there, the fluctuations can be screwy at times so I couldn't predict how bad the temp/humidity would rise.. But, I think I have it all figured out now... During the day I keep a watch on it to make sure the temp don't go up too much... At night is when i worry.. But, I think I have that figured out now too.. Oh.. Also, I had to take the GT (ghetto-turner) out.. It just wasn't working this morning at all so it was much easier to slip it off and have the carton sitting flat so I could just tilt the whole bator... I think this will work much better..

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
You know, I was wondering the same thing.. But, I would be afraid of trying it now that I have the eggs set... Unless i can put the whole bator on top of it and it will soak into the strofoam... Hmm... Only other ways i could do it is to take the eggs out completely, run the heating pad and put the eggs back real quick (best time to do that would be when I candle them and have DH install the heating pad) or to completely remove the bottom of the cooler and quickly slip the heating pad between the bottom of the cooler and the carton.. but, I think this would be too much trouble.. Might wait til next hatch... I dunno... I really don't want to do too much that will cause me to lose this hatch... I don't have the problems that Mulia is having with the power outages but I am having temp fluctuations so my hatch rate will be compromised also.. just not as badly... (OMG!!! WHY is the today show playing "let it snow" in AUGUST!?!?!?!?!)

Goddess

 

[2txmedics]

Wait!!!! Ok, as a "medic"...I have to say...be very careful with a heating pad on over night...do you know how many calls Ive made due to that....burns...fires...from a heating pad all night long, even on low...they do malfunction also.

Just had to say it from my experience....just be safe.

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
Ummmmm...... Ok... Well, that just made my decision a LOT easier!! I want Chicks.. Not FRIED chicks!!!

Goddess

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

YOu people who build your own incubators are amazing! And so many good ideas like the "ghetto egg turner" I think that was a wonderful idea! LOL I will be watching to see how your hatch goes. Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas

Maybe some day I will build one

I have a hova right now but would love to build a hatcher.