First time incubating

[mbelim]

Take some pics and show us!

Here are some pics as requested by Zanlm

This is me turning the eggs.... hope I'm doing it correctly....

This is my incubator from the inside...

And this is the incubator closed..

wish me luck people.... this is my first batch. I need all the advice I can get.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Here are some pics as requested by Zanlm

This is me turning the eggs.... hope I'm doing it correctly....


This is my incubator from the inside...


And this is the incubator closed..


wish me luck people.... this is my first batch. I need all the advice I can get.

Good Luck!!

Now a few questions----How many light bulbs are you using?
That Cabinet is Huge----is it still air---I did not see a fan?
How is the humidity and temperature now?
How do you plan to increase the humidity at lock-down(day 18)?
Did you test it before you put the eggs in to see what it takes to get your humidity up to 70+% for hatching?
Have you got vent holes in the box?

 

[Jessshan8]

Quote: X2 with all but the light bulbs, vent holes are the most important there will be a huge build up of carbon dioxide and it builds up quicker as the eggs develop,e so ventilation becomes more important the chicks will actually suffocate and die to to carbon dioxide build up in the incubator if adequate ventilation is not attained

 

[mbelim]

Good Luck!!

Now a few questions----How many light bulbs are you using?
That Cabinet is Huge----is it still air---I did not see a fan?
How is the humidity and temperature now?
How do you plan to increase the humidity at lock-down(day 18)?
Did you test it before you put the eggs in to see what it takes to get your humidity up to 70+% for hatching?
Have you got vent holes in the box?

Hi,
5 light bulbs, 60w each.
Still Air
Temperature between 37.5c and 38.2c.
Humidity I have no idea. I don't have the equipment to check humidity.. please advice??
No idea how to increase Humidity
Nope I did not test Humidity as I mentioned earlier, I do not have the tools and neither do I know how to increase the Humidity. Please advice.
Yes I do have vents on the sides, I have left them open since day 4.

Tnx

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi,
5 light bulbs, 60w each.
Still Air
Temperature between 37.5c and 38.2c.
Humidity I have no idea. I don't have the equipment to check humidity.. please advice??
No idea how to increase Humidity
Nope I did not test Humidity as I mentioned earlier, I do not have the tools and neither do I know how to increase the Humidity. Please advice.
Yes I do have vents on the sides, I have left them open since day 4.

Tnx

First do you need all them bulbs to keep the temp up?
Humidity is controlled by the amount of water surface you have in the bator. It looks like you have a pan under the wire---have you got water in it? It looks way to small for such a big cabinet to be able to get the humidity up to a good incubating humidity---then on day 18 you will need to increase the humidity/water surface alot to get the best hatch. You can buy a humidity/temp meter for $10-$20 at wal-marts to see where it is at.
The size of the vent holes will be something you will have to play with to get right on that size cabinet. The location of the vent hole is important too----so the eggs can get some fresh air.
Have you done any reading on incubating----how often to turn, when to stop turning, how to candle, etc, etc??

 

[mbelim]

First do you need all them bulbs to keep the temp up?
Humidity is controlled by the amount of water surface you have in the bator. It looks like you have a pan under the wire---have you got water in it? It looks way to small for such a big cabinet to be able to get the humidity up to a good incubating humidity---then on day 18 you will need to increase the humidity/water surface alot to get the best hatch. You can buy a humidity/temp meter for $10-$20 at wal-marts to see where it is at.
The size of the vent holes will be something you will have to play with to get right on that size cabinet. The location of the vent hole is important too----so the eggs can get some fresh air.
Have you done any reading on incubating----how often to turn, when to stop turning, how to candle, etc, etc??

Hi,
Bulbs are not always on. The bulbs only switch on when temp reaches 37 5c and then swithches off at 38.2c. Maintaining the heat at all times.
Yes I do have a tray underneath wire filled with water.
I will see to arrange hygrometer to check Humidity.
As for vents, there are 2 on either side of incubator. They are positioned directly above wire. I will see to post pics of vents later.
I have done some reading and I have been reading some of the posts on this forum. I'm a newbie obviously so I'm not sure of what I'm doing.
I have a friend who has been doing it for some time and he advises me. So basically that's where I am. I am grateful for all the help and advice this forum has assisted me with. I hope to give back some day.

I had been turning eggs twice a day. However someone on here advised that I turn atleast 3 times. So that's what I did yesterday.

Btw, the incubator in the pics I posted had a capacity of 130 eggs. I have 4 of these incubators. This morning I added a second batch of eggs in the 2nd incubator........

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi,
Bulbs are not always on. The bulbs only switch on when temp reaches 37 5c and then swithches off at 38.2c. Maintaining the heat at all times.

As for vents, there are 2 on either side of incubator. They are positioned directly above wire. I will see to post pics of vents later.
I'm a newbie obviously so I'm not sure of what I'm doing.
I have a friend who has been doing it for some time and he advises me.

Btw, the incubator in the pics I posted had a capacity of 130 eggs. I have 4 of these incubators. This morning I added a second batch of eggs in the 2nd incubator........

I feel sure your incubator will hatch and its a Good Thing you have a experienced friend helping you. Also again its good you are seeking advice.

The reason I asked about the bulbs is I feel when they come on they will create alot of heat while they are on---I am thinking alot of hot spots. ""I"" had rather have a slow rise in heat, than a "flash" heat----meaning if 2 bulbs would give a rise in the temp then cut off---I had rather go that way. I had rather a couple bulbs stay on say 10 minutes then cut off than 5 come on for a minute then cut off----BUT I am Not there so I do not know the facts.

You have so much room in the incubator to stick a fan or two in it to get a gentle movement of the air---might help alot.

About the vents again "I" feel you need a vent/s at the top of the bator too--- to create a draw(hot air rises) so you can get a good change of air in the bator. All the stagnated air in the top has no way of escaping. If your friend is using a bator just like this and he is getting real good hatches-----just ignore my post!

 

[mbelim]

I feel sure your incubator will hatch and its a Good Thing you have a experienced friend helping you. Also again its good you are seeking advice.

The reason I asked about the bulbs is I feel when they come on they will create alot of heat while they are on---I am thinking alot of hot spots. ""I"" had rather have a slow rise in heat, than a "flash" heat----meaning if 2 bulbs would give a rise in the temp then cut off---I had rather go that way. I had rather a couple bulbs stay on say 10 minutes then cut off than 5 come on for a minute then cut off----BUT I am Not there so I do not know the facts.

You have so much room in the incubator to stick a fan or two in it to get a gentle movement of the air---might help alot.

About the vents again "I" feel you need a vent/s at the top of the bator too--- to create a draw(hot air rises) so you can get a good change of air in the bator. All the stagnated air in the top has no way of escaping. If your friend is using a bator just like this and he is getting real good hatches-----just ignore my post!

Hi, I'm not sure about the hatching part lol. After today's ordeal I'm beginning to lose hope.

I have started to turn eggs 3 times daily. At breakfast, lunch and supper.
I think incubator 1 is going fine. However, when I tried getting a hygrometer reading on incubator 1, during the day it read 43% and now at night it reads 58%?? I have no idea.

as for incubator 2 (I mentioned previously I have 4 of these), I had placed eggs inside yesterday. Today set the temperature etc. yesterday. When I got there later today I found the heat way above the cut off limit at 39.0c. It was reading 40.9c. This made me really scared. Remember today is day 2 on incubator 2 so no turning. I had opened up the incubator to air out and get temperature lower. Is this ok? Not sure if I did the correct thing.

Another thing that's freaking me out are my thermometers. For some reason they all give me different readings as is in this pic below....I am so confused....

one more thing, if I could be directed to the correct thread for this query,
below is an image of a shelf that I would like to convert into a multi layer brooder... can anyone help me with ideas and advise on how to and what I should include?

tnx

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi, I'm not sure about the hatching part lol. After today's ordeal I'm beginning to lose hope.

I have started to turn eggs 3 times daily. At breakfast, lunch and supper.
I think incubator 1 is going fine. However, when I tried getting a hygrometer reading on incubator 1, during the day it read 43% and now at night it reads 58%?? I have no idea.

as for incubator 2 (I mentioned previously I have 4 of these), I had placed eggs inside yesterday. Today set the temperature etc. yesterday. When I got there later today I found the heat way above the cut off limit at 39.0c. It was reading 40.9c. This made me really scared. Remember today is day 2 on incubator 2 so no turning. I had opened up the incubator to air out and get temperature lower. Is this ok? Not sure if I did the correct thing.

Another thing that's freaking me out are my thermometers. For some reason they all give me different readings as is in this pic below....I am so confused....



tnx

1st----ALWAYS get your incubator running at the proper temp at least 24 hours before you add any eggs.
Its not unsusal for two thermometers to read a little different---which one is right??? I do not know----divide the difference---add 2 tenths to the lowest and minus 2 tenths for the highest---hatch a load of eggs---if they hatch a little early or a little late then you can write on the thermometer you need to add or minus a little to get them to hatch around late day 20 early day 21.

If your humidity is to high---put a slightly smaller water pan in it. In most places the humidity will rise at night if you are set-up in a uncontrolled building---BUT Your humidity is close according to your readings.

You seem to be planning to hatch alot of chicks---forget that shelf---to many chicks, to much poop to have to clean out----1/2" wire floor brooders is the way I would go with poop catcher trays that you can dump every day or two without having to remove the chicks everytime.

Why Not turn the eggs on day 2? Never heard of that. My eggs get turned from the day I put them in the incubator to day 18 and I have a real high hatch rate.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

that you can dump every day or two without having to remove the chicks everytime.

Why Not turn the eggs on day 2? Never heard of that. My eggs get turned from the day I put them in the incubator to day 18 and I have a real high hatch rate.

x2