Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i agree 100 % on the redwood bator's here is mine... not sure who made it but its the best incubator I've ever had... made around 1950ish with GQF electronics in the early 2000nds...

Chris,
I had a good year hatching Reds. Didn't keep data but well above 90%.
Rather than going the GQF route look for one of the old redwood incubators. Leahy made some good ones.They're thick walled [& heavy]. I think they hold heat & humidity better thanthe GQF. I had a Sportsman but got rid of it as the old Leahys worked better for me. I have 2 of tem & the most expensive one was $65.

 

[Chris09]

Chris,
I had a good year hatching Reds. Didn't keep data but well above 90%.
Rather than going the GQF route look for one of the old redwood incubators. Leahy made some good ones.They're thick walled [& heavy]. I think they hold heat & humidity better thanthe GQF. I had a Sportsman but got rid of it as the old Leahys worked better for me. I have 2 of tem & the most expensive one was $65.

Wow Bill, I would love to find a Redwood Incubator that cheep here.

I went to get prices at GQF for parts to build a cabinet Incubator. I had to price the Fan, Heat Element, Wafer Thermostat, and a "auto" Humidity Pan W/ wick pads.
I have a old little freezer I gutted that I was planing to use as the cabinet itself, build the turning unit and use the GQF parts to it. I made one some time back for a friend of mine that needed a incubator and it worked out well but I will keep a eye out for a Redwood incubator also.

My main problem this year is that some of the Reds are sticking to the shell at hatch, and there the only ones that's doing it. I'm banging my head up against the wall trying to figure out why there the only ones this is happening to but not getting anywhere. I have the heat set a 99.0 and the humidity is at 50% until the last 3 day when I stop the turner at that time I set the humidity at 60%.

I have the egg I got off you in "old reliable", its a old Hova-Bator with a circulating fan, auto turner and manual heat setting. Its done well for me in the past at about 90 to 95% hatch rate so I'm hoping for the best.


Chris

 

[gjensen]

Chris, if you lived closer, I would give you one. I stripped oned own, and was given another. I do not know what the shipping would be on something like that. Probably more than it is worth. I can't get to finishing the first, and do not have a need for the other. I bought a Dickies incubator, and have been impressed with it.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I have a old Lehy if I put the black thermostat box from GQF in there will it work ok with the old element on the bottom?

Can you replace that Element with the current wire that goes around the fan on the GQF Sportsman ?

I made two Red Wood small box incubators using one x four redwood boards about 18 inches long. Made a door in front to get in and then have the fan and the thermometer from the
cheap Styrofoam incubator one the celling of the box. Just a old fashion wafer thermostat and they made great hatchers. The red wood just holds the humidity so much better than press wood or plywood.

bob

 

[Chris09]

5 new chicks going out to the brooder,
These are out one of the lines of LF Rose Comb Reds I have been working on.



Chris

 

[tigercreek]

Got mine from Craig's list for $150. It has a Montgumery Wards tag on it and it works exactly like it is supposed to. It holds a ton of eggs. I think it was built to be a hatcher, but I have it set up with the Little Giant auto turners in the top 2 shelves. The only problem I have found so far is that it hatches more chicks than I have room for!! ....stan

 

[CharlieVoda]

I have a old Lehy if I put the black thermostat box from GQF in there will it work ok with the old element on the bottom?

Can you replace that Element with the current wire that goes around the fan on the GQF Sportsman ?

Hello Bob all is well in tropical MN.
I have a Sears Farm Master 400 egg 4 tray redwood made by Leahy it is a Model 426. I revamped it 20 years ago and have not done a thing to it since except clean it.

I put in a black electronic thermostat with a wafer backup, a new wire element, as well as a new fan when I got it. The trays are just the right size for two yellow 42 egg automatic turners so I get 84 eggs per tray. Call John Smith at Smith Poultry he has all the parts and knows Leahy's inside and out. When I got the parts he even sent me a copy of the owners manual.
http://www.poultrysupplies.com/

Here is an interesting article about redwood incubators and refurbishing them for use.
http://www.heavensentranch.com/redwoodincubators.htm
Rodney Haefs lives about 40 miles from me and also knows these inside and out by the model number. He redid one for Don Roscoe a couple years ago.

Wish I could find one for 65.00. I paid 125 when I bought mine. I am trying to talk Bob Coulter into selling me one of his two Farm Masters they are identical to mine. I want it for a hatcher. A lot of the waterfowl guys swear by them and so do I.

Have 111 RC RIR out and shut things down last Monday. Hatches averaged about 75% and that is plenty good by me. I probably had 20 or so that were sticky and I think a lot of the problems this year are due to the weather in our neck of the woods. Hot then cold then wet then dry. We were in a drought and now we are 4" above average for moisture. Will get pics when they get a few months older and maybe a few pics of the Aylesbury ducks. I call them my army tanks.

Walt you are still one handsome guy. I used to have hair down past my shoulders I think. Not sure if I remember. No red cape though. Hello from me and Don.

Good Luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[FOGELLY]

Those Red Wood bators are making me jealous! I have been looking for a reasonably price one for a long time.

I have an old Sportsman, with a plywood cabinet, not the press board. It has the wafer thermostats and works very good. I got it from an older gentleman and was lightly used. It is in perfect condition and the price was right.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: Charlie, Thank you for this information. I, too, have a Sears Farm Master and will be contacting John Smith regarding some modifications.

 

[MKandtheforce]

Hi all. I'm new to the world of chickens, but I'll be building my coop soon and plan on filling it with Heritage Delawares to breed and raise. Does anyone here have any? And can you tell a chicken newbie about your experiences with them?

Also, does anyone know any places in the New England area that sells them? It's hard for me to find any in Maine, though I have someone willing to sell me three pullets and a cockerel. I was told you guys might know.

I'll definitely be lurking. I hope to see you all around!