First hatch with diy cooler bator

[Ghosty]

This is my first hatch with my diy cooler bator. I am just winging it. I have an inkbird thermostat calibrated to a medical thermometer using my body temp. The inkbird was .5 degrees off at most. I have no hygrometer. I am going with a dry hatch. I am 7 days in, and I just candled.
A dozen of the eggs were infertile. I set 3 eggs a day late and will candle them tomorrow. I am hand turning 3 - 5 times a day. I ended up with 5 game eggs so far, and some layer/leiper cross, lol.

 

[Ghosty]

 

[Kafen]

I was looking at the Inkbird ones and I really like them, but ordering from Amazon was going to take over a month! Even trying to find a thermometer that has decent reviews is a struggle, never mind a hygrometer. I've seen some that link up with your phone and I'd love one. I think it would be super handy to have alerts and such if the temp or humidity go too high/low! Good to see your setup, hope for the best!

 

[Ghosty]

I was looking at the Inkbird ones and I really like them, but ordering from Amazon was going to take over a month! Even trying to find a thermometer that has decent reviews is a struggle, never mind a hygrometer. I've seen some that link up with your phone and I'd love one. I think it would be super handy to have alerts and such if the temp or humidity go too high/low! Good to see your setup, hope for the best!

Ya, I've been looking at hygrometers like crazy, and it is hard to decide on one. I need one with a probe, since I don't have a viewing window. They all seem a little iffy, I think it's just grab one and hope for the best. I candled my other three eggs today, and I may have not turned my game eggs enough. I need to get an automatic turner, I'm terrible at being punctual. Looked like they were stuck to one side of the shell. At this point I'm just gonna keep turning the eggs and hope for the best. I hope my temp isn't getting too high or my humidity too low. I need to get a couple more thermometers and settle on a hygrometer. I'm thinking about adding some water to the tray during this next week.

 

[Kafen]

Ya, I've been looking at hygrometers like crazy, and it is hard to decide on one. I need one with a probe, since I don't have a viewing window. They all seem a little iffy, I think it's just grab one and hope for the best. I candled my other three eggs today, and I may have not turned my game eggs enough. I need to get an automatic turner, I'm terrible at being punctual. Looked like they were stuck to one side of the shell. At this point I'm just gonna keep turning the eggs and hope for the best. I hope my temp isn't getting too high or my humidity too low. I need to get a couple more thermometers and settle on a hygrometer. I'm thinking about adding some water to the tray during this next week.

Hope it’s going well! Any new developments on the ones that look stuck? My life is dictated by the alarms on my phone right now.... I think an automatic egg turner would be so nice! I have an ice cube tray in mine right now and it’s nice because I can just fill one cube with water at a time. Though when I only have one filled the humidity is at 50%, hope I have enough ventilation!

 

[Ghosty]

Hope it’s going well! Any new developments on the ones that look stuck? My life is dictated by the alarms on my phone right now.... I think an automatic egg turner would be so nice! I have an ice cube tray in mine right now and it’s nice because I can just fill one cube with water at a time. Though when I only have one filled the humidity is at 50%, hope I have enough ventilation!

I think you have plenty of ventilation. You may have to plug a couple holes come lockdown to help raise your humiditiy. I have two holes on both sides of the fan and two holes directly across from them on the other short side. Didn't you have four on top?

I looked up about the sticking to the shell. Apparently that is pretty normal around day 8. I just candled three of them, it is day 15, and the air cells have grown like they should. There is healthy veining, and you can see feathers and movement. No photos, but I'll get one of the air cell size. I decided to not candle any more of the eggs, good enough evidence for me, and the less handling the better with my butter fingers.

I am so with you on the auto turner, but I would have to cut down one of the bigger ones to fit many eggs in the cooler and I'm afraid it might sit too high for my current setup. I'm definitely getting one at a later date.
2 more days till lockdown! You go into lockdown first of day 18 right? Lol. Shoot I forgot to turn my other two little tupperware upright in case I need more water to raise the humidity.

 

[Kafen]

I think you have plenty of ventilation. You may have to plug a couple holes come lockdown to help raise your humiditiy. I have two holes on both sides of the fan and two holes directly across from them on the other short side. Didn't you have four on top?

I looked up about the sticking to the shell. Apparently that is pretty normal around day 8. I just candled three of them, it is day 15, and the air cells have grown like they should. There is healthy veining, and you can see feathers and movement. No photos, but I'll get one of the air cell size. I decided to not candle any more of the eggs, good enough evidence for me, and the less handling the better with my butter fingers.

I am so with you on the auto turner, but I would have to cut down one of the bigger ones to fit many eggs in the cooler and I'm afraid it might sit too high for my current setup. I'm definitely getting one at a later date.
2 more days till lockdown! You go into lockdown first of day 18 right? Lol. Shoot I forgot to turn my other two little tupperware upright in case I need more water to raise the humidity.

So glad you have progress with those ones! I’m on the same page with the candling. I’m so terrified that I’m going to drop one. I even feel like I’m way too rough with them every time I turn them but I figure a hen doesn’t have velvet gloves on when she turns them either.

Originally I was going to have them in an egg carton and tilt it side to side. It would have been easier and safer but then I saw something on here about that being a “no no”. Not sure what the reasoning is, but I got paranoid and just decided to do it the old fashioned way.

I sure hope that’s when you lockdown since that’s my plan! I have 6 small holes on top and no trouble with humidity. I had what I thought was a small jar and it spiked up to 60%. Did you settle on a hygrometer? I salt tested mine and it was reading 3% lower (why does that even work, I can find any info....)

You’re so close to lockdown though! It still feel she’s away for me.

 

[Ghosty]

So glad you have progress with those ones! I’m on the same page with the candling. I’m so terrified that I’m going to drop one. I even feel like I’m way too rough with them every time I turn them but I figure a hen doesn’t have velvet gloves on when she turns them either.

Originally I was going to have them in an egg carton and tilt it side to side. It would have been easier and safer but then I saw something on here about that being a “no no”. Not sure what the reasoning is, but I got paranoid and just decided to do it the old fashioned way.

I sure hope that’s when you lockdown since that’s my plan! I have 6 small holes on top and no trouble with humidity. I had what I thought was a small jar and it spiked up to 60%. Did you settle on a hygrometer? I salt tested mine and it was reading 3% lower (why does that even work, I can find any info....)

You’re so close to lockdown though! It still feel she’s away for me.

Good to hear you are having no trouble raising humidity. I never did buy a hygrometer. I figure I will fill my tray, and see how it goes. Maybe I can get one in time. I figured wrong, today was day 14.
I guess table salt when wetted and sealed in a bag causes a specific vapor of 75%. Apparently you can get different humidity levels with different types of salt, where you achieve a constant salt level in the water by just dampening the salt. I'm not sure on the egg carton as a turner thing.

 

[Ghosty]

I just heard cheeping under my broody! Yay!
I thought she might have lost all the eggs, she was off it for most of a day due to nesting confusion. I should have separated her.

 

[Phunktacular]

I use the SHT2000 controller to handle temperature and humidity. It keeps my temperature within 1/2 a degree from target and humidity within a couple of % of target, as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X9WD88...colid=NLZCUNPI53JE&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

It will take a little bit to get to it to you but, worth it. Very reasonably priced.


I posted about my build here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/home-built-incubator.1337443/#post-22338344