FEB HATCH-ALONG THREAD ...COME JOIN US.... EVERYONE!

[ceocka]

That i

Here is the incubator I made in about 15 minutes. I'm on day 12 with 23 fabulous looking eggs resting easy in this. Temp is a little iffy because we heat with wood and the temperature fluctuates in the house. The room I keep the bator in is my office and it is notoriously the coldest room int the house - usually runs in the low 60's in there. I keep a towel wrapped around it a lot of the time, especially at night.....but it works so I can't complain. Here are my supplies - I am comfortable with electrical work but I was just being lazy and bought a $6 light from Lowe's (with the extension cords). I used glass from a picture frame I had packed away, a cookie cooling rack, a free cooler, duct tape and 25W bulbs. I took the light apart. I didn't need the shield or the clamp - just the socket and cord. I traced the circle on the side of my cooler and stuck the plug from the inside of the cooler out so it was nice and snug. On the lid, I traced around the outside of my piece of glass. Then I moved it in about 1/2" and traced two sides, then moved it and did the same for the other two sides. It was pretty much freehand - just enough of a lip for the glass to sit on. I cut out the inside lines with a serrated knife - easy peasy. I set the glass on top and then just used my pretty tape to hold it in place. I put my rack in teh bottom - and this thing holds humidity like crazy so I've removed the sponge for now and just have a small tube that is holding the water - and it's keeping my humidity about 35% (I don't have a fan in this one so I want the humidity to be a little lower for now and when it's time to up the humidity, I won't have a problem getting it up there). This is where we are at right now.....a lot more eggs than I started with.

s amazing! I am going to make one for lock down only!

 

[PugBug]

I am sad to hear the little ones didn't make it pug

lots of fuzzy butt dust for your next set!!

i am picking up 24 silkie eggs tomorrow locally!!!!!

Thanks Peach

Congrats on your silkies eggs! And good luck with them!
I ordered 10 Eng. Lav. Orp live chicks tonight, they should be here no later than Thurs

 

[jobouss]

Do you have a thermostat hooked up to your light? Never seen a bator without one. I use a hot water thermostat on mine.

This is what I used to hook up my water heater thermostat. I am not an electrician, but if you use those little twisty things (dont know what they are called) and secure them with electric tape that will make the wires connections secure. You do have to drill a few holes in the thermostat, but it's just the plastic part. It helps the thermostat to be more sensitive. You also have to have the metal part of the thermostat facing the bulb no farther than 2 inches away. I also have a computer fan in there also.
You can see my thermostat in my incubator hanging from the wire close to the bulb. My temperature hardly wavers at all.

 

[Roxannemc]

I was hoping to sell my chicks to be able to recoup my cost after my mom takes first pick for her very first flock. I am officially crying. Trying not to be so disappointed in myself.

ETA it's weird that ALL the local ones are doing nothing but the shipped ones are the survivors.

That is weird!!
Well candled my eggs hatching Feb 15 and Feb 20
4 or 5 of 12 are bad first hatch and 6 survivors second hatch.Well maybe 8 but some were a mix and not the lav orps i need for orders So know what you mean My own eggs and arent even to hatch yet! HOw many will survive??? GUH

My temps were bad the first few days low b/c of an off therm ...could be it or the cold..2 or 3 had blood rings and a couple nonstarters

 

[ceocka]

Pug bug
I am so sorry to hear about your loss

 

[Roxannemc]

LOL!! I am freaking out with my eggs, and they are making you feel better!!! HA!!!

The green colored egg with the "clear air sac" is a very dark OE egg but all my Marans are identical!!

Simmons and Gapeach....Usually (but not always )the dark area is a chick unless you are on day 2 or something .
Day 10 it is about close to 2/3 dark and by day 15 all dark
You might see an air cell some not just all dark
. GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Roxannemc]

Its going into 5 days today. I should see a LOT more than I do. I have FOUR with that tell take spider of veins and two I can see the heart beating in. NOTHING with 99% of the others. Now I wonder if I toss the rest Tuesday and move these Deff fertile ones into the new incubator set up with the new eggs and then move them back to this one for lockdown or just let them sit. Oddly enough, my shipped eggs look the most fertile, and my Ameracauna eggs and sizzle eggs look the most fertile too. Many are just too dark. My husband is going to put a flood light in a heat lamp in a box later for me to see if I can see better through them. But by looking at MANY MANY MANY link and pages, I would gather to say 99% of mine either are completely infertile, or not developing at all.

they may be infertile but only day 5...i would error on the side of wait and see.
You can always throw them out later
If they look like that on day 10 then pitch if you want.Me i wait until day 17 then you KNOW if it isnt dark or mostly dark its probably a quiter or non starter.
Too many ppl make the mistake of thinking one is dead and find out its not later .I hate to waste a little life unless i am very sure.

 

[Roxannemc]

I'm currently using a homemade cooler incubator and although I'm only on day 12, things appear to be going well. All in all, I spent $10 to make this and that was for the light and the bulbs. Everything else was stuff I had laying around the house. It took all of 15 minutes to make.........I don't count the cost of the thermometers/hygrometers in the cost of building it because I can use them for lots of other things.

I got the styrofoam cooler from a doctors office I clean - they received medicine in them and I kept bringing them home much to my husband's chagrin - but I finally found a use for them! I'm actually going to go out and buy another light today so I can build a second one. Everything else I used is just stuff I had laying around the house. I do have to keep a towel around the cooler because it is so cold in my office - but it's no big deal.

When I build the other one this afternoon, would you like me to take pictures of the process for you?

It looks so easy! LOVE this...I might try one tomorrow .
Does that 25 watt bulb get too hot ?Are there any small air vents in the cooler ?You dont have a thermostat? What is the exact size of the cooler?.I tried a bulb in a sty cooler and it went to like 130 when tested it.GUH... The bulb may have been 40 watt though... Cooler was the $2.50 styrafoam Wally kind.

 

[Maah]

Congratulations to everyone w/ new babies

Hello to all the new ppl

My 2 Isbars babies died- 1 seemed weak, never held it head up & died hours after hatch. The other was perfectly fine, or so it seemed. She was dead when I woke up this morning.
I have eng. choc. orp. bantam eggs going to lockdown Tues I think.
Got my frizzle eggs in, the lady sent lots of extras.

Sorry for the loss of your Isbars. I am going to continue to send you good luck vibes for your next hatch & your frizzles!

I found the frizzles lady on ebay and saved her in my list. Maybe, just maybe, when I have a free incubator I will get some eggs from her too.

 

[jphendrix]

Here's all 8 of my babies!! I was so happy all the eggs that went into lockdown hatched.

Those are so darn cute!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!