Automatic turning eggs. Questions.

[LinckHillPoultry]

I was given a hovabator with an automatic turner by a friend. The bator is a little dirty, not smelly, just not very white anymore. It leaks out of the water tubes at the bottom, so I figured I'd apply some good ole duct tape to the bottom outside of it. The automatic turner wont fit into the little giant bator... plus that bator is already in use. Also I figured a little dirt wont hurt the chicks... since there is no real good way to clean styrofoam, also the chicks arent going to touch the dirty bottom.
Figured I'd hatch some chicks.


I'll keep you all updated.

This used to be the fixing up an old bator post.

I have questions though because I have never hatched eggs in an automatic turner.

Do I leave the turner going up to the hatch, or do I unplug it at a certain time...?

Thanks.

 

[Kaneke]

this may sound weird, but I know one way to clean up dirty styrofoam (assuming it really is DIRT and not deep stains)

also assuming this is a concave piece of styrofoam ...
and doesn't have any electrical doohickeys in it

fill up with warm water (if you rinse it first, that helps)

drop in 2 to 6 "denture cleaning tablets"

after the fizzing stops, rinse very well with water (warm is better)

alternatively, use a product called "Dip-It", produced primarily for cleaning out old style percolators, or Thermos ("vacuum") bottles

Candy

 

[Katy]

I'd be careful about covering the holes along the bottom edge..they're for ventilation for the eggs and chicks. You can get a Plastic liner for the bottom for not very much.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

no katy, not these holes. Somehow the old owner of this bator got holes right under the water ring, so whenever you fill it up, it leaks right out and is a mess of water. I'm not covering the ventilation holes, just the leaks directly under the water ring.

 

[Katy]

Sorry...I was thinking you ment the ventilation holes....I can see where holes in the bottom would be a problem! You can get the liner for I think about 10 or 11 bucks.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

Guess what everybody?!

I just candled some of my eggs.
I candled the 6 of my chicken eggs in the bator and everyone of them has a chick growing in them!

My goose eggs on the otherhand I'm not positive on. I checked 2 of them. I think they just might have something in them but I'll candle them in about 4-7 days and then I'll know for sure!

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

I tried to block the leak... but somehow the water still finds a way out.

So now what I've done is I've placed a rubbermaid lid in the incubator that I will put the water in.

 

[Kaneke]

sounds good ... a blob of silicone sealer on the INSIDE will probably be a permanent fix ... but I like the idea of removable water containers, myself

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

The incubator has been up and running. It's been holding a stable temperature of 100 degrees.

There are currently 2 eggs in it.
More to come within today and tomorrow.



So, here's what I got:
Bator 1 (little giant):
5 Sebbie eggs
6 Assorted chicken eggs

Bator 2 (hovabator):
So far 8 eggs. I will be adding more over today and tomorrow!