Bread Box Incubator

[speckledhen]

Hey, Priss, DH and I decided to try your water heater thermostat idea in the Fridge-a-Bator, but just can't get it to narrow the range enough to keep the water weasel at the right temps. The air temp range goes from 102 down to 96 or so. Just cant seem to make it work for some reason. If we can't then I think DH will tear it apart and put the components back into the wooden bator. Maybe the multi layer, two story thing is the problem, dont know. In any case, he needs to get that hatcher working in the next five days. Glad yours is working out really well. He was messing around on the internet and calls me over to show me how this lady made her bator. It was your website, LOL!

 

[MissPrissy]

I keep tweaking and they keep getting better. I am wondering about experimenting with a different kind of heating element. Thanks for the visit!

 

[arlee453]

Do you have a fan in your frige-a-bator?

My temps were varying about 3 degrees swing with the probe in the water weasel, but once I put a fan in there, it went to only varying about 1 degree between the light coming on and off.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, we sure do have a fan and I think we solved our problem-the water heater thermostat was too far from the light bulb, plus we changed to a 60 watt from the 40 we had in it. Right now, we're in the middle of the test and I think we're close to having this resolved. Thanks, Priss, for the description of your potato box bator because it was the fact that you had such a high wattage bulb near the thermo that got DH to thinking and he moved them closer together. This ought to be a great bator, as insulated as it is with nice shelving. DH put a nightlight up high so when the bulb shuts off, there is still light inside!

 

[MissPrissy]

I do have a cpu fan in this box. I just did the final turn of the night. Day one is coming to a close. The temp readings for the bator is:

99.3 internal probe temp
101.5 external air temp

 

[speckledhen]

As I went to bed, the Fridge-a-Bator's weasel was cycling between 99.3 and 99.9 and the air temps were cycling between 98.4 and 100.2. I think we finally got it right in there. It became a personal challenge to get this new bator to work properly, LOL. Will let you know in the morning how it did overnight.

 

[insaaan]

hi all..... i'm new here and i'm far away from KUWAIT. i really wanna thank u all specially the amazing girl miss prissy. cz of her i made my own hommade incubator and hopfully i'm gonna show u our chicken kind soon....i'm sure u gonna like it....take care all.

 

[Cheryl]

What is a water weasal?

 

[MissPrissy]

It is a child's toy found for under $1 in many thrift/dollar stores and for .88 cents at Walmart.

When used in combination with a probe thermometer it allows you to get an idea of the internal temps of the eggs during incubation.

 

[arlee453]

It's a kids toy - a plastic/rubbery tube filled with water. If you look in the first post in this thread, the 2nd pic down shows a pink thing covered in flowers - that's it.

They are also called water wigglers, and water snakes. You can find them at the dollar store, or at Walmart in the kids cheapo toy aisle.

Because they are filled with water, they hold their temp similar to how an egg would, and can be a big help in regulating temps in the incubator. Basically you shoot for the temp inside the WW to be 99.5 on average.

You get a thermometer with a probe - the indoor/outdor ones they have a Walmart or Lowes for about $12. You put the probe of the thermometer inside the WW and that gives you the core temp of the WW. Miss Prissy has a pic of that thermometer in her pics in the first post in this thread also.

Hope that helps!