Designed and Built Incubator - Have to start somewhere!

[coleco]

I use a humidity controller that i wired into an outlet so i can plug in the usb wall charger to power it when the humidity controller detects that its below the set point by 1%

I didn't know which egg turner was preferred and i just happened upon the LG turner. Its a white color that went with the vintage white paint that i had.

After going to the lake for 2 weekends I missed day 10 candle. I know I have at least 10 living eggs. I was confused about day 11-13 candling because some people said not to candle on those days. I'll have a better update wednesday (day 14)

The 6 hour runtime on the humidifier is frustrating. I set my incubator to 35% while i was gone and it lasts about a day and a half. I return home and its out of water.
My plan is to make some kind of box with a collar like a bottle to hold a larger volume of water.

 

[coleco]

It's just about day 14 in an hour and a half my mother hen simulator will have beaten 5,644,800 heartbeats.

I removed all of the infertile eggs there were 8. A friend who gave the eggs and I were testing this new roo/ hen combination and he didn't preform as well as expected. It was the solstice and we didn't give more than a few weeks of settling in. All of the random eggs from my own coop are absolutely growing, they are easier to see through and a good control for the darker eggs. I will find some more hatching eggs from various places to hatch out and keep track of for next year to start strong on a breed line. (I have a few years of work to do to get where I want to be with this line of birds; a practice in breeding true) I will weigh all the eggs again and I can tell already that i can make a good guesstimate of where these guys will pip so i may mark the low side of the air cell and start improving my skills at that.

Lucky for me, yesterday the guineas moved themselves into my main coop, they followed the chickens in, I am hoping that they can find a good routine and eventually I can develop a 6' flyout pen for them to come and go as they please.

I have to try and remember how to use excel and then I will input all of my measurements into a spreadsheet to calculate the current weight loss of my clutch.
Thanks for taking the time to read along.

 

[melamb13]

Sounds good. Thanks for the update. I think I may shortcut the build and try to find a mini fridge with a glass door, then rig the humidifier, temp and humidity controller along with the egg turner. Look forward to your data and hatch.

 

[coleco]

My data says to raise the humidity, and so i have done precisely that. Up to 42 percent and ill weigh again and adjust up to day 18 when i ramp it up to 70%

 

[coleco]

Sounds good. Thanks for the update. I think I may shortcut the build and try to find a mini fridge with a glass door, then rig the humidifier, temp and humidity controller along with the egg turner. Look forward to your data and hatch.

Using a mini fridge or similar container like a cooler would be ideal provided there is a method of introducing lots of fresh air. The data is proving that my wooden incubator absorbs too much moisture, i will waterproof it before the next hatch and compare.

Here is an image of a galanz 1.7cuft minifridge that i cut to make an eggerator but it could easily be an incubator.


I had to cut one row out of the auto turner to fit as well as trim the door to be flush. It cost 50 bucks to buy the 2 items on craigslist locally and i used scrap metal to cover the hideous foam inside the door.

 

[coleco]

In about 10 hours is lockdown. I meant to build a hatcher but since i started a project making some metal cabinets for my next bators,the idea was shelved, i made a tray to set inside with drawer liner for the next 3 days. I will weigh them as i swap out to hatching.

 

[melamb13]

Nice. Hope it all goes smoothly.

 

[coleco]

Thank you. My update is i have a pip 6 hours before day 20, someone just couldn't wait. My broody splash marans hatched out a barred cochin bantam from her clutch just in time to show me how it's really done.

 

[coleco]

Chick #24 hatched at 3:00am

 

[melamb13]

Chick #24 hatched at 3:00am

Success!