Chic Chick 'Bator *UPDATED*

[equus2]

Adding water to my hova's.....

I'm using plastic tubing and a 30CC syringe......the tubing runs through the vent hole in the lid and along the side of the bator, ending on a strip of water-absorbing foam that I've velcroed to the side. I know now that (after the initial filling of the resevoir) these bators need 20cc every night to keep the foam moist and humidity stable. No more dips or spikes and the only time I remove the top is to candle (unitl day 18 when they move to the hatcher.)

 

[NoSpringChick]

Help...can someone please tell me what the temperature and humidity should be.....

With the water heater thermostat, the light turns off at 100.6 and turns back on at 91.2. Now I don't have a water wiggler set up as of yet...this is just the air temperature.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I would bump it up a bit, so that the average is 99.5°F. I think Miss Prissy's was oscillating between 98 and 102 on the air temp. ~50-60% humidity for the first 18 days, then up it to 60-70% the last 3 days. (someone correct me if I'm wrong...)

I made a wiggler with plastic ziploc baggies folded over and taped, then stuck in a small yogurt container with the probe in it. Works really well.

 

[MissPrissy]

You are correct.

 

[ChickenWendy]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

I would bump it up a bit, so that the average is 99.5°F. I think Miss Prissy's was oscillating between 98 and 102 on the air temp. ~50-60% humidity for the first 18 days, then up it to 60-70% the last 3 days. (someone correct me if I'm wrong...)

I made a wiggler with plastic ziploc baggies folded over and taped, then stuck in a small yogurt container with the probe in it. Works really well.

if you get oscillating temps like that does your hatch take longer? and how do you think that affects the hatch outcome if any? i'm curious because mine fluctuates between those numbers on the temps. i havent hatched any out in this homemade incubator as i'm a bit leary, but i have used it for actual incubating for a few days after the initial week of growth.
so i'm just curious.​

 

[MissPrissy]

Air temps change a lot quicker than liquid temps in the egg. If your water wiggler thingy is stable at 99.5 nothing else matters as much. however if you temp swings are big you need space filler. jars of warm water to act as a heat sink.

It is okay to be leary of using my homemade bator. If you look around you are going to find alot of people hatching out chicks in a copy of this incubator -tweaked for their own climate and environments.

 

[Mrs MIA]

But once you get it set to your own environment, they work like a charm!

I'm going to make a few more to keep on hand to loan out for home-school projects.

 

[ChickenWendy]

Quote:
i wasnt leary because of it being homemade or even because it was your instructions. i was only leary because i dont feel i'm that smart! i dont want to kill baby chicks because i might be doing something wrong. i love the homemade incubator idea and i love mine and i only have it because of you Miss Prissy. it's the breadbox one. i just curious when i read about the fluctuating air temps is all.
you are truly an asset to this board. i ended up buying a genesis 1588 because of your suggestions and i have 30 eggs in it right now - 12 duck eggs (2 pekins/10 cayuga) and i have 6 white silkie eggs in it and 6 mottle cochin eggs in it and the rest is from my mixed flock.
so you are an inspiration and i meant no slight.

 

[MissPrissy]

I didn't take it as a slight. Not at all. The first time hatching in the homemade is a hair puller! You worry about everything -more so than normal!

 

[NoSpringChick]

Thanks ALL..I'm feeling really confident that my homemade incubator will be a success. The eggs arrive early next week! I don't think I'll sleep for 3 or 4 weeks.....I'll just be on this site bugging you all! LOL

Thanks for your wonderful help!

p.s. I'll try and post pictures soon!