Hey Aran and Redneck - About those Homemade 'Bators

[MissPrissy]

I am wondering if you are still pleased over all with your homemade incubators. Have they consistantly performed as you expected them too? Have you made any changes? What has been your hatch rate?

I am curious because although my incubator worked like a charm my last hatch was a 100% failure. After 25 days we cracked open the eggs and out of 15 eggs 14 of them were just rotten eggs and 1 was a partially formed chick. When the eggs arrive by mail five of them were damaged/broken leaving only the 15 which obviously had sustained too much damage to be viable.

I will be trying another hatch with eggs from Cynthia's Blue Orpingtons and Ameraucanas starting sometime next week. I plan to add a heat sink and change my 25 watt bulb to a 40 watt for a few days and see how consistant the humidity holds. Last time my humidity jumped around alot and I never had to add water to the incubator at any time until boosting it to 70% the last 3 days.

The last eggs were welsummers and just too dark to see anything when candling. Had I been able to candle I would have known by day 10 to give it up.

Any response would be appreciated.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I'm glad you posted this. I pirated

you guys' plans, and built my own. First eggs going in today. Want to thank all three of you for such super clear instructions, and great diagrams! Boy, isn't my family impressed (but I promise I gave you credit..!).

My first group of eggs should be arriving today, and I'm a little worried about the temps.. since the hotwater thermost lets the temps range between 91 and 108.. although mean temp is right at 99.5. Seems ok for eggs (doesn't spend very long on any temp, and cycles really fast), but not sure how it'll be for new hatchlings.

Regardless, I feel like the smartest person on earth

and it's all thanks to your diagrams! You 3 ROCK!

Sorry to hear about your hatch, that stinks. Hopefully the next one goes MUCH better.

Meghan

 

[kelly]

I had the same problem with temps in my home made bator. My thermostat was in the bottom it might have helped if it was up on the wall and my husbund thought there may be thermostats that kick on at like 15 degree intervals, 5 degrees etc. and I may have had the wrong one. Anyway I had 8 eggs in it, 2 tried to hatch but came through the side of the shell and never made it and one did hatch and as of now 3 days old) happy & healthy. I liked my home made bator better because it had a light and my new one doesn't, if I could figure out the temp thing I would use the home made one.

Kelly

 

[MissPrissy]

Kelly, I was able to hold temp. My humidity was my biggest problem I think because the natural humidity was so high here this summer. That is why I am going to try a larger watt bulb and a heat sink.

 

[redneck]

Hi all, Yes I am very happy with my "Homemade Bators". I have made 4 so far. I have been getting between 80 and 100% hatch rates. On my Road Island Red's I have been getting a 100% hatch except for one time I got 90% hatch rate. I have been using the dry method as described here on this site.
www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16124
The above link is the last one That I have built.
I built one for an elderly lady and she is getting around 80% hatches. Here is the one I built for the lady.
www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9732

 

[speckledhen]

I've been pleased with the one my DH made from log cabin siding, but right now, he has gutted one of my son's old dorm refrigerators that no longer worked and is going to rip the guts out of the wooden one to make a "Fridge-a-Bator". He has to wait till after this small group hatches this weekend, though, LOL. I don't want to hatch in my Hova because the MegaBator has an awesome picture window for viewing.