FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Brookhavens]

Yes getting the sportsman was life changing. do you think the auto filler is worth it, I didn't get one but i do have trouble refilling the tray through the hole when they are on
lockdown and i don't want to open. I taped a funnel to the end of one of those plastic bendy straws but it is still quite fiddly

I use a sportsman also and I didn't get the auto filler either. What I did was just bought a length of water tubing at Lowes. I run that through the hole and it feeds into a pan inside the bator. Using a funnel I pour the water in when needed. I usually do a dry hatch and only add water when the humidity drops below 30% and then only bring it up to the high 30's low 40's. I only incubate in the Sportsman and use the cooler bators I built for hatching.

 

[Bangarang64]

I use a sportsman also and I didn't get the auto filler either.

Hey guys,

Whats a Sportsman?

 

[Runawaylobster]

Hey guys,

Whats a Sportsman?

http://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=68

nice incubator. I got mine of craigslist. looking at the materials and the simplicity i can't figure why they cost so much but
they work well so I guess we are paying for the design..

anyway my hatches were a disaster until i bought this....

 

[cmom]

Quote:
A sportsman is a cabinet incubator. My sportsman is an older one but it works great. Here are a few pics. I don't think the newer ones are built quite as well. They are also a little smaller in size but supposedly able to hold as many eggs. My hatching tray is metal where the new ones are made of cardboard like material. ( The very bottom tray is the hatching tray)

 

[McPhersonFarm]

Where do my fellow Floridians store their eggs they intend to hatch? The recommended storage temps are hard for me to achieve in our hot climate. Any suggestions? I use my pantry in winter since it stays cool but this time of year I have switched to the fridge but I'm wondering if anyone has a better idea. I have a produce fridge I was given that I can set an exact temp but I have not tried it yet since I don't really have room to set it up.

I have been looking at a used wine cooler to store mine in because the best temp from what I have read is 55-65 and wine coolers can be set at this temp!

 

[McPhersonFarm]

I stored eggs right on top of my incubator. Now I only hatch in the spring. In the past I have hatched all year long when I was hatching in my styrofoam incubators and when I first got my cabinet incubator. My hatches have been very good too just storing the eggs at room temperature. One thing to remember it isn't always the temperature you store them at as most people have AC in their houses, but the longer the eggs sit (over 10 days is the rule of thumb) the less viable they become.

I love that brooder, but I don't see lights? Is that where you put older chicks? How did you make that!!! I love your set-up!

 

[Runawaylobster]

A sportsman is a cabinet incubator. My sportsman is an older one but it works great. Here are a few pics. I don't think the newer ones are built quite as well. They are also a little smaller in size but supposedly able to hold as many eggs. My hatching tray is metal where the new ones are made of cardboard like material. ( The very bottom tray is the hatching tray)

I love your brooder setup.. I have those clear walmart tubs allover the floor, yours is such a space saver!!! I kick mine out to the back patio after about 10 days and they go into a big horse trough brooder.

Why is it that some chicks just up and die for no apparent reason.. came home to one of those today, everyone else in the brooder is doing great.. !!

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Look at the second picture. Those are 100 watt bulbs.

 

[cmom]

Over the years I have tried storing my eggs at different temperatures and have not found any difference in my hatches. I don't really think the temperature is a big concern unless you have no AC in the summer with 90ºF plus temperatures in your house or no heat in the winter where the temp would get below 60ºF. I still think the older the eggs the less viable. I have had very successful hatches even with eggs over 10 days old but prefer not to store eggs over a couple of weeks at the most. If you have unsuccessful hatches the most likely reason would be humidity and temperature during incubation. This is just my opinion. I think of terms like having a broody. She will lay eggs over a few days and not necessarily sit on the nest until she has enough eggs to satisfy herself then she will sit until they hatch. The broody is not concerned with the temperature and even gets off the nest for a little while every day to eat drink and poop. A couple of times we lost power. Once about 2 weeks into incubation the temperature went down to 78ºF. I thought the eggs weren't going to hatch. As soon as I discovered we had no power I put the incubator on battery power and brought the temperature back up. I candled the eggs and saw movement. I still had a very good hatch.

 

[dolfi]

In the pictures in the above posts there are a couple of white pullets but many are cockerels. You can definitely see the combs and wattles starting to grow on the males.

Pullet


Pullet


cockerels

how old are these