Smuvers Farm
Melvin Up the Taterhole
We currently have 7/8 day old chicks hatched by my broody. I ended up setting 15 mixed eggs into an incubator on the 26th. (I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?!) I have an extra thermometer/hygrometer inside. It self turns every 2 hours and had been working great. Note, I said HAD.
DH, in his infinite wisdom, decided to try and fill it with water instead of waking me up this morning. Nice gesture.... but he knows absolutely ZERO about the incubator that I know kinda sorta mostly..... and now, the self turners aren't really turning. At one point they had been moving back and forth at about a 55° angle each direction. I noticed, this afternoon, that even though the motor part seemed to be rotating, the turners barely moved and it looked as if the eggs were sitting upright.
I unplugged the incubator, gently took out the eggs, unplugged the turners and noted that there was a good CUP of water in the sides of the incubator... whereas it *needs* about 2 ounces tops. Dumped, wiped out, plugged in turners, turned incubator back on and the turners moved back into a 55° angle. Re placed the eggs and re covered.
Question 1: I'm not sure how many times they have been turned today..... or how far. I know a MINIMUM of 3 times, 5 times are better.... but how FAR does an egg need to be turned?
Question 2: I've read many posts about removing the turners during hatch, as hatching is kinda gross. Well, my tray under the turners have holes, so the hatching UCK would drop through and on to my fan... how do I stop THAT from happening during lock down?
DH, in his infinite wisdom, decided to try and fill it with water instead of waking me up this morning. Nice gesture.... but he knows absolutely ZERO about the incubator that I know kinda sorta mostly..... and now, the self turners aren't really turning. At one point they had been moving back and forth at about a 55° angle each direction. I noticed, this afternoon, that even though the motor part seemed to be rotating, the turners barely moved and it looked as if the eggs were sitting upright.
I unplugged the incubator, gently took out the eggs, unplugged the turners and noted that there was a good CUP of water in the sides of the incubator... whereas it *needs* about 2 ounces tops. Dumped, wiped out, plugged in turners, turned incubator back on and the turners moved back into a 55° angle. Re placed the eggs and re covered.
Question 1: I'm not sure how many times they have been turned today..... or how far. I know a MINIMUM of 3 times, 5 times are better.... but how FAR does an egg need to be turned?
Question 2: I've read many posts about removing the turners during hatch, as hatching is kinda gross. Well, my tray under the turners have holes, so the hatching UCK would drop through and on to my fan... how do I stop THAT from happening during lock down?
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