Chic Chick 'Bator *UPDATED*

[Billy7871]

Quote:
I would say adjust ever 2 hours not 30 min. It takes awhile to get it right but it also take more than 30 min to get to where you just moved it.

 

[faerielady]

I was wondering if I was adjusting the temp too much... but to be honest, I don't expect to get it perfectly right until I get the fan in there. Right now I'm missing the fan. I figure that will make a difference in the temperature.

 

[Billy7871]

you know I would have thought it would have made no difference. I got mine ready with the fan unplugged and ran it 2 days and everything was right. then on the day i was going to set the eggs i turned the fan on and boy was it messed up. It took a few more hours to get it back right.

 

[faerielady]

Well I got to thinking about how I don't drop the a/c at night to a lower temperature, I just turn the fan on and it cools off the room. So by using that bit of logic, I figure that if it's a little high now, the fan will drop the temperature after I get it installed. I know, not exactly scientific or logical really, but hey it works

 

[Mrs MIA]

You can go either way, but with the fan, the temperatures in the entire cooler stay more stable, rather than having it really hot near the bulb and cooler on the far side. Every 30 minutes is definitely too often... I would recommend every 3-4 hours (after you get the fan in there, of course.

)
Opening the cooler to adjust it will throw it off too, so if this is the first time using your new homemade incubator, definitely dink around with it for 3-4 days to get it in range. I would add a container of water, too... Nice thing is, once you get it in range, you won't have to change it much at all later unless conditions in the room change dramatically. Don't forget that the best place for it is in a room that doesn't have temperature fluctuations itself. Keep the incubator away from windows (sunlight), doors, or heaters/ACs. That will surely affect it as well.
Good luck!!

 

[mayden]

Quote:
Can someone tell me what a water wiggler is?

 

[Bring]

What's the point of the water wiggler?? maybe i missed something. I didn't see in the instructions the addition of the water wiggler??

 

[MrsCountryChick]

A water wiggler is actually a children's water toy usually costing a few dollars. It is a small rubber filled water tunnel that has the inside that can snuggly fit a thermometer into, so the water acts as a heat sink to mimic the temperature, so you can get a good "estimate" of what the internal temperature of your incubating eggs would be. Here's an online photos of one:

They may be called different names depending on the manufacturer. Some people also put the water wiggler into an empty cardboard toilet paper roll too while they add their thermometer, but that's optional. You use the probe thermometers inside these. Hope this helps.

 

[Bring]

It helps. Thank you. Another ?? The probe thermometer, same as a meat thermometer?

 

[Freeholder]

Okay, I'm considering making one of these (even though I've got three proven broodies and six pullets deliberately bred to become broodies!). But frequent mention has been made of the fact that they are supposed to be in a location where the temperature doesn't vary much. How much variation is too much? We turn our house thermostat down at night to 55 F (it doesn't always get that cold, but sometimes it does), and during the day it's set at 65 F or 68 F. (These are winter temps -- we don't have AC so in the summer we get whatever the weather gives us.) Is a ten-degree or so fluctuation going to be a problem?

Thanks,

Kathleen