GQF sportsman vs Dickey incubators?

[PD-Riverman]

I'm continuous hatching so the first eggs are at 14 days, the next tray is at day7, and the new eggs were added this morning.

So your plan it to stay at a steady humidity through out?

 

[EggGrl]

So I followed the GQF manual. I added a wick pad to increase the humidity for the last 3 days. Worked beautifully to raise the humidity. Then, I goofed. I didn't realize the hose was kinked, so the tray dried out for a few hours before I noticed this.

I have 4 eggs in the hatching tray. The first hatched on Saturday, day 20. The other three still have not hatched and today is day 22. One is moving, so I won't give up quite yet. I might not have gotten these eggs collected and cooled down as quickly as I do now with the rest I set.

Not sure how much the drop in humidity hurt them at that critical stage. They might have been shrink wrapped.

 

[PD-Riverman]

So I followed the GQF manual. I added a wick pad to increase the humidity for the last 3 days. Worked beautifully to raise the humidity. Then, I goofed. I didn't realize the hose was kinked, so the tray dried out for a few hours before I noticed this.

I have 4 eggs in the hatching tray. The first hatched on Saturday, day 20. The other three still have not hatched and today is day 22. One is moving, so I won't give up quite yet. I might not have gotten these eggs collected and cooled down as quickly as I do now with the rest I set.

Not sure how much the drop in humidity hurt them at that critical stage. They might have been shrink wrapped.

Hmmm, I know people do hatches like this, I never done a survey on a lot of people---as to what their results are----the few I know personally that hatch this way have decent hatches most of the time. I hatched every week too, but I never hatched in the incubator----I did not like the idea of raising the humidity high for the 3 day hatch because of other eggs that needed the humidity lower. I always move the 18 day old eggs to a hatcher----have used a cheap Styrofoam as a hatcher at times. My results doing that has always Been real high hatch rate---usually close 100%----I did hatch for 17 months steady---every week----over 6000 chicks but I slowed down---only hatched a few hundred in the last few months.

I am a little confused----you said the 22 day old eggs----you could see one moving------Maybe I just did not take the time to stare but I have never seen movement in ready to hatch eggs----they are just a black egg inside----but I am sure movement in the air cell could probably be seen. If you are seeing a somewhat transparent egg with embryo movement at day 21/22------you can chunk it.

 

[cwalsh2]

I read it in a hatching guide on line someplace, and my% went up with my styro jobs when I started hatching at a cooler temo. I sold the styros and now use a Dickey. I like it.

 

[EggGrl]

PD,
Sorry I did not come back to check for replies! Thank you for the input.

The movement I can see is sometimes on the edge or the airsac. If I candle, rotating the egg slowly, sometimes the shadows move. And some times I can feel the vibration of movement.

I might build up to a seperate hatcher or if I can't get the hatch rate high enough, I may go to a styrobator. Heck, I've already taken over the guest room and part of the basement with incubator, trays, turners and now brooders. My husband can't possibly object now!

 

[EggGrl]

I should add...in the subsequent weeks I do not take enough time candling to see movement. I just make sure they look like there is a chick in there, and sort them in to the hatch tray.

 

[dheltzel]

I built a "coolerbator" for hatching. It does great in that I can remove chicks (and shells) without dumping all the warm humid air on the floor every time I open it. Here are some pics:


Opened to show the inner lid that slides (2 translucent tops from storage boxes, turned upside down)

Inner lids removed to show the removable rails they sit on, and 1 of 4 hatch baskets. under the baskets are 4 dollar store cutlery trays.

 

[EggGrl]

Well, I just LOVE that set up! Clever engineering. I might steal that idea.

 

[dheltzel]

Well, I just LOVE that set up! Clever engineering. I might steal that idea.

By all means! I took some ideas for @Sally Sunshine with her homemade cabinet incubator, I just decided to make a hatcher instead. The biggest drawback to the regular "cooler bators" is that it's hard to get a turner. Since hatchers don't have them, it seemed like a great fit. Coolers are made to be easy to clean too, and hatchers that are hard to clean get stinky and dangerous to future chicks.

That is the largest cooler we could find. Walmart.com had it for about $70, but since the number of eggs you can hatch depends a lot on the size, I went big. I can comfortably hatch 100 eggs in this, about 1 single cabinet incubator can produce weekly.

 

[hbhoffman]

HI Dennis,
Would mine sharing more exactly how you did this? I have an old 54 quart cooler with a partially broken lid that I would consider scavenging for this! Is it an incubator or hatcher or both?? How do you maintain the temperature? Humidity? Turn the eggs? If both how do you keep the hatching eggs separate from the still developing ones? And lastly, this is what always bugs me about current incubators are the tiny windows: Can you put a larger window on the side for a better view? Thanks!