Hey folks!! This is my first attempt at hatching some cicken eggs.

[eggwarmer]

I built my incubator out of a styrofoam cheese box. I used a 70 watt bulb with a dimmer on it. I have a sponge in a bowl of water. My humidity is 59-60 % my temp is 98.8-99.8. I am open to any and all suggestions or comments.
Thank you,
Mike

 

[mallory2013]

Hey I am building my own as well! I am using a reptile thermostat (i was using a dimmer but the fluctuations were so drastic that I felt it wasn't worth it). I have not tried using actual eggs yet but i am in a few weeks after all my parts come in! I bought a pc cooling fan on ebay and I am going to wire it to an old cell phone charger. I am going to do the same thing with the sponge and water. Have you tried it with eggs yet?

 

[eggwarmer]

I put my second egg in today. The dimmer is a bit of a hassle. However, I have been able to keep my temp. with in the 98-101 range. Humidity has been a bit more of a challenge. I only have two layers now. I am not real confident my rooster is doing his job. I have a brood of copper black morans I bought as chicks. I may go and buy some more layers if this works out.
How in the world did we ever get chickens before all this?

 

[mallory2013]

Have you cracked any eggs open to check for bulls eyes? That's a foolproof way to see fertility in eggs, I have been looking for them in my hen's eggs but my rooster is fairly new so I'm thinking that they aren't receptive to him yet since I haven't seen any.
That's awesome with the dimmer! I couldn't get mine to work...
Haha I wonder sometimes too... even when everything is perfect something seems to go wrong according to some other threads I have read! Let me know how your eggs are getting along!
-Mallory

 

[eggwarmer]

Bulls eye? I looked with a light today (day5) for my first egg, and could see an air pocket at the end. I hopr I didn't cook it!!
Mike

 

[mallory2013]

Hey Mike
There is suppose to be an air pocket, they are called air cells. They are what the chicks poke their beaks through to breath before they hatch. The cell gets larger and larger as the incubation goes on, there is a chart of how large the cell is suppose to be when you candle it, I will try and find it...
Here is a link to a thread about the bulls eye I was talking about, its how you tell if the egg has been fertilized: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

Here's another AWESOME link that I found via someone on here who linked it, it's a great site, it has a lot of information. http://www.poultryhelp.com/hatch.html

 

[mallory2013]

Here is the diagram about the air cells:

 

[Arielle]

Nice thread you all have going here with all the right info to have a successful hatch. Air cell devleopment is really important, turning the eggs 3 or more times a day, and correct temperature.

Temps need to be 99.5-101 for best results. See how the 98.5 temps have the chicks develop. Note the time of hatching as the lower temps result in longer hatch times.

You are all doing great. I suggest keeping a note book of info making entries every day. May not seem important today, but in a few days or at the end of the hatch, you may need the info.

Good Luck!! Look forward to seeing pics!

 

[eggwarmer]

Thank you

 

[eggwarmer]

Can hens or roosters be predetermined by temp?