Home made cabinet incubator

[WalnutHill]

First external pip 1 a.m. day 20

Second external pip before 8:00 a.m. day 20

There is a conversation going on in there..."churp churp cheerp" "churp churp"

I found that one of my cabinet plugs was wide open. As I used recycled materials, both sides of the incubator have 4" holes through the 1 1/2" foam. On one side I plugged the hole with a plug made from a scrap of the foam. The other side I left open and just covered 75% of it with aluminum duct tape. The tape lost its tack after I adjusted the trays last week, so I've been running for 4 days with a 4" round hole open in the side of the incubator. Yet temps have been rock solid, and humidity has been a steady 44-45%.

I put the plug in so that it is tilted out, leaving an opening. Humidity is climbing.

 

[BobMcDuff]

Here is the link to my hatch cam: http://hatchcam.walnuthillfarmmi.com:8000/ Expected hatch 3/30 but I think some of those smaller green eggs will pop a day earlier.

neat trick with the webcam

 

[WalnutHill]

Ten hours after first pip, the first pipper is zipping. This chick has a good set of lungs and is encouraging the others. Two eggs in the same "pod" have also pipped and are talking back.

**note** the thermometer in the back is not very accurate, it reads high when the humidity is high.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ten hours after first pip, the first pipper is zipping. This chick has a good set of lungs and is encouraging the others. Two eggs in the same "pod" have also pipped and are talking back.

**note** the thermometer in the back is not very accurate, it reads high when the humidity is high.

Congrats!!

 

[WalnutHill]

First zip is done, the chick is resting before pushing free. Here she comes! I think that is the fastest hatch I've had yet!

My daughter thinks it's cool that I mark an X on the shell at lockdown and the chicks hit the target almost every time.

 

[WalnutHill]

My first mystery chick...fuzzy feet, gray with tan, bigger than a bantam but smaller than a large fowl, horn colored beak and shanks, rose comb. Hatched from a medium sized pale tan egg. Any guesses on parentage? This is from one of the purchased, refrigerated eggs...but "she" is cute!

 

[WalnutHill]

Five out so far, all very active and healthy. Time from start of zip to hatch is running between 20-45 minutes.

I think they are all fuzzy feet so far!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Five out so far, all very active and healthy. Time from start of zip to hatch is running between 20-45 minutes.

I think they are all fuzzy feet so far!

Do you have any idea what you average for pip to zip?

 

[WalnutHill]

I have been tracking them carefully but haven't calculated an average. The zips are amazingly fast and the chicks are coming out just as I want to see them, active, noisy, and fluffing up quickly. Hatching humidity is 45-50% and I am opening the incubator to remove shells after each hatch and to right upside down chicks while I am in there. They are funny, laying on their backs and hollering, "hey you, give me a hand, will ya?" I know they will either get up or get tumbled upright by a sibling eventually, but they are doggone noisy when they are unhappy!

first pipped 1 a.m. and hatched 11:30 a.m.
second pipped around 7 a.m. and hatched 3:00 p.m.
the next four I took my eyes off the incubator, but none were pipped before 10 a.m. and had hatched out by 10 p.m.
I have one that pipped about 8 p.m. and is zipping now.
All those were day 20.

Day 21 is about to start, and I have 4 more external pips.

Three eggs should be delayed 1, 2, and 3 days as I set them on subsequent days.

And I went to TSC and bought all the broiler chicks they had in stock as they won't be getting any more for a few weeks. Turns out they have coccidiosis, and bad...so I need to set up another brooder for the hatchlings.

 

[BobMcDuff]

neat trick with the webcam

Haha, just clicked on it to see how many you had, just watched one pop out.