Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[sumi]

before I forget, did anyone shake an egg and dislodge and air cell????

We've gone from having a pile of eggs to having no eggs. The neighbour took 3doz last week, then our landlord came and bought some and then DH started having boiled egg cravings. I'm hoping I'll have enough eggs for when the neighbour comes again. I'm going to have to get more hens. DH was already eyeing the hens at market.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Explosives... I love it! Our house is very cold and very damp. As a result we have the incubator sitting in the cupboard in the spare bedroom with a heater on. We measured the temp in the cupboard before we put the bator in and since the room is so nice and warm now with the heater in there we put the mealworm farm in there as well. Luckily the heater can be set on "low" and left running, but I'd hate to see the next electricity bill... The things we'd do for chicks.

Don't worry to much about the electric bill. The styrafoam bators (hovabator and similar) would only cost $21 to run all year long. Home made can't be that much worse.

 

[sumi]

I've no idea how much electricity the 'bator uses. And then there's the turner.. I'm more worried about the heater!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I am officially an LLC.

Brilliant Feathers Urban Farming

 

[sumi]

I am officially an LLC.

Brilliant Feathers Urban Farming

 

[3Dchicken]

I've finally got my home made 'bator up and running! It seems to be holding a steady 99-100 temp and a 40% humidity. Now I screw everything in permanent like and buy eggs! Hopefully I can find the eggs I want in the quantities I need.

looks like she just wants out

But why would she do it EVERY night??

 

[3Dchicken]

She wants Mommy!

But I was there!!! AHH

Broody hens don't eat much and I heard they lose up to 25% of their body weight in a sitting. Give her high protein snacks like the other suggested, yoghurt and mealworms and a little dry cat food and scrambled eggs and such. A little vitamins in her water won't hurt either. Watch out for the broody poop though. Actually you will smell it before you see it. Those things are unreal. LOL They store them up and then drop a huge one when they're ready, usually when they get up to take a break or walk around with the chicks.

LOL

 

[3Dchicken]

Here's some photos!
This is the box I used







I lined it with that silver insulation stuff, and taped all the edges with foil tape






Here's most of what I used inside





My hubby wired up the socket for me. He put it in a plastic light box. I wired up the fan. The thermostat isn't shown, but we used a water heater one.

Here it is with everything inside (taped down at the moment, I'll be using screws and making it permanent today)





I drilled two one inch holes along the bottom on the light side and at the top on the egg side. I'll be adding a tube for adding water, and I'm considering rigging up a turning knob to the outside. I'm also going to drill a small hole for the temperature adjusting knob on the thermostat. It faces the wall, so why not

I'm also going to put together a page to go on the incubator page.

ETA: I haven't got the lid together just yet either. I'm going to use the slats from the box, cut a hole for glass, glue and nail the two pieces together, caulk in the glass, then attach it with hinges and a latch. I'm going to use some left over automotive door seal around the top to make it close tight.

Ugh. It is soooo much better than mine! XD

 

[3Dchicken]

I am officially an LLC.

Brilliant Feathers Urban Farming

Yay!!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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