Has anyone ever used a brick?

[joneus]

Quote:
Yep! That's one reason why I'm planning on baking it in the oven first (the other is to kill anything that might be living on\\in it since it's been outside).

I've got a couple of other changes to make, so all of this will have to wait until my tempubator is up and running.

 

[mtngrl812]

When you bake it in the oven have it in a pan of water that way it is soaking while heating. I cleaned my brick with some clorox then put it in a baking dish with water and put on the stove. I let it heat over the pilot light for a night, and it was too warm by morning. My brick has worked quit well for a heat sink, but there is NO humidity here so I have to add water to the brick every few days to keep it moist. I put it directly under a vent so I could just add water with a syringe. I found that having a sponge beside the brick to catch any water excess was good too. The first brick I used was not porous enough, the brick I have now absorbs the water easier and will jack my humidity up then it will slowly drop back down.

It should work well for you. I found that bricks hold the water better than a piece of wood.

Good luck

 

[WriterofWords]

Quote:
That's good to know, because that's what I have been planning on doing. Although, I have to admit I've been apprehensive. What kind of incubator do you use? Mine's home made and is why I worry!

I have a styrofoam Hovabator in the classroom and also some classmade 'bators out of styrofoam coolers (the $2 ones from Dollar General). I used the sponge method in both, they are lightweight, can go under the turner or lean up against the sides of the 'bator. In the homemade ones I cut the sponges into strips and lay out a grid in the bottom and put the eggs within the grid so the humidity is close to them. Over the weekends when the homemade ones are in use I put a lightweight dish towel over it too because the top tends to leak a little humidity constantly.

 

[gfcm]

Thank you so much for your helpfulness! The grid of sorts, sounds like a better idea! Do you have better results with that setup?

 

[WriterofWords]

Quote:
I do, because it keeps the egg "wrapped" so to speak in humidity so it's even all over. I'm trying to find a picture to show you but they are on the computer that doesn't have a working mouse or key board!

 

[WriterofWords]

This is "coolerbator" with the cups of water in it with styrofoam over the tops, I'm looking for the grid.

Sponge in small cup of water raises the humidity a little more and makes it last because the water lasts longer

 

[gfcm]

lol That chick is cute! Thank you for the pictures!

 

[joneus]

Quote:
I put a small (2" thick or so) piece brick in the water dish when I installed the thermostat this morning. So far, its working brilliantly! There's barely any water in the dish, but I've had to keep the vents open or the humidity creeps up over 60%. Right now, its at a steady 50%!

I think it'll be a delicate balance to maintain at first, but by the 20th, I should have it all figured out. At the very least, I probably wont have to worry about the humidity getting too low while I'm gone!

(Now, if only there were a way to be sure the chicks wont hatch until I get home... I may have to break out the old web cam...

)

 

[gfcm]

Good to know. Only thing is; I'd be too nervous to leave it unless I had had days to test it to see how fast it drops. Is there someone who could look in on them for you?

I guess I'm a worry wart...

The web cam is AWESOME idea!

 

[joneus]

Quote:
Thats why I put the brick in today instead of at lockdown- so I have time to be sure it'll work!

I put it in the incubator at around noon (EST), got the humidity to where I wanted it by around 2, and even with both big vents open on the top, it maintained 49-50% for just over 6hrs and has dropped to 44% over the last hour. It was damp when I put it in there- it must be drying out now.

note: Adding half a cup of water raised it back up to 49% in about 10mins with one top vent open. I've closed the second vent just to see what it'll do.

I should have this all figured out by then, but I'm going to see if my neighbor can come check on them a couple of times while I'm gone (I'm gonna need her to let my dogs out & feed them for me anyway!). I just want the incubator-sitting to be as simple as possible for her, kwim?