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

[1kluckychik]

If you look at the second picture, slightly left, just under the wood cross brace on the top, you will see something there.  That something is a thermometer taped in place.

We switched from heat lamps to the small Premier 1 brooder plates. They work great. They will pay for themselves in electricity bill savings. We didnt get the clear dome covers

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I have seen pictures of them but never actually seen one or touched one. I think they look like they would work great, but with the amount of chicks I hatch I would need a few. For now the cabinet works great and I have a brooder coop too. I usually just put the lamps on at night because it is warm enough during the day when I hatch. I'll probably do a test hatch next month. Each side of the coop has a pop door and a pen for the chicks. This way I can separate the hatches until I band them.

 

[1kluckychik]

I have seen pictures of them but never actually seen one or touched one. I think they look like they would work great, but with the amount of chicks I hatch I would need a few. For now the cabinet works great and I have a brooder coop too. I usually just put the lamps on at night because it is warm enough during the day when I hatch. I'll probably do a test hatch next month. Each side of the coop has a pop door and a pen for the chicks. This way I can separate the hatches until I band them.

They make a bigger size too. I highly recommend them over infrared heat lamps. These are safer and alot less expensive to operate

 

[1kluckychik]

Chicks feather out faster. They only use it when they need it. No worries of blown bulbs or fire

 

[SlickChick76]

Do you have access to another incubator? I do staggered hatches but my incubator is a cabinet and I use my styrofoam incubators as hatchers. That way I can keep track of the chicks I'm hatching. I would be a bit concerned about the humidity. I have gotten mixed up on my setting dates and was a week off a couple of times and chicks started hatching in the cabinet, which means the humidity was on the low side. I moved the rest of those eggs pipped and all to a styrofoam to continue the hatch. I misted the eggs when I put them in. At day 10 you should see blood veins when you candle and you might see some movement, around day 14 you will see the embryo moving around. Good luck and have fun...

Hi, cmom (or anyone who has incubator experience),

Since I wasn't planning on buying another incubator, I decided to make one to be used just for hatching the first batch and leaving the second batch in the Hovabator.

I followed guidelines, and constructed an incubator and it seems to be functioning properly. My humidity seems to be between 65-69%.
Here's my problem: I have two identical thermometers a few inches away from one another in the homemade incubator. (I verified that they were reading the same temp and humidity sitting next to each other on my kitchen counter) They are reading a few degrees apart. Maximum of three degrees but this is concerning to me. I ordered a more expensive thermostat, but have a feeling it is not going to get here for the lockdown for my first batch... What should I do?

Humidity and temp a little lower here, I have since adjusted this.


Of my 26 Serama eggs (set Feb 7), I disposed of seven non viable after candling tonight, have two questionables, and 16 moving embryos. Of my 13 Cream Legbar eggs (set Feb 9), I disposed of four non viable after candling tonight, and have 9 nine moving embryos. This is very exciting but I am a nervous wreck, lol!!! (And again, never did this before!)

Thanks again for any input.
Danielle

 

[1kluckychik]

Those accurites are crazy.
I would get a brinsea spot check for temp

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I would put ¼ x ¼ hardware cloth in it. From the picture it looks like you have ½ x ½ hardware cloth. It may be just how it looks in the picture. You can just lay the ¼ x ¼ over the ½ x ½ hardware cloth. I have the ¼ x ¼ over 1 x 2 inch welded wire. It makes it more rigid. I have a temperature sensor on the other end that is why my thermometer shows two temperatures. This was before I modified it and had one bulb in the bottom on one end but still had a fan blowing across the bulb.
I put the paper towel in the bottom to catch the chick poop to make for easier cleaning. I have several of these thermometers so I have them numbered. I hope this
helps. It's not rocket science and the temperature can vary some. A broody will get off her eggs around 15/20 minutes every day to eat, drink and poop and the eggs still hatch. Again good luck and have fun...

The humidity is lower here because I just took the hatched chicks and their shells out and the bulb was in the bottom. It is a 15 watt bulb

I originally put a dimmer switch on it to control the heat. The 2 cords coming out was, one for the fan and one for the light. I did change that to one cord.

After modifying, mounted the bulbs on the side with a wafer thermostat and the fan blowing across the bulbs. I put foil in the bottom. The bulbs are 15 watts.
I put two in in case one burned out. It has happened when I had it with the single bulb in the bottom. I did put some holes in that have tape over them on the outside so I could take the tape off for more air. You can see a couple in the top right of the picture.

 

[stricklandr]

Does anyone know of any silkies for sale in north Florida / southern GA?!

 

[LocalYokel]

Does anyone know of any silkies for sale in north Florida / southern GA?!

@cmom
Still doing Sunshine silkies?

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Yes, she will be at the show in Inverness on March 5th. She usually brings sale birds. She is a top breeder.