I wanna scream! temp issues!

[GoodLuckCharlie!]

I'm so frustrated! No matter what I do the temps are going crazy in the incubator. I just received Crevecoeur eggs today, and I don't want to destroy them or be hovering every 5 minutes...like I am everyday this week...can someone tell me the name of the things I need to buy to build a regulator for the temp and fan please. I'll go out and buy the stuff today and my daughter knows how to hardwire things-I'm pretty handy at it too. Right now I have a fan, a little light/40 watt bulb, a large wide vat of water and hardware cloth the eggs are sitting on, all inside a large box lined with permanent foam molded to it. The temps were good until the humidity dropped outside-at least I think that's what's wrong. Thanks.

 

[Arielle]

DId you find the resources that you needed? Doing an extensive search on BYC will yield what you are looking for. Just takes a bit of time and I know you are feeling pressed for that right now.

I just installed a fan using instructions from here. It took about an hour to figure it all out but really simple once I got it.Here is some information it may help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8510

 

[Flawedatdesign]

Okay I'm not familiar with you bator any pics? Have you moved it by chance?

 

[GoodLuckCharlie!]

Hi, thanks for replying--yesterday was a meltdown day for me

I had a bad delivery of 8 pheonix/yokohama eggs three weeks ago-3 smashed in the mail, and 5 not fertile (candled everyday on the 2nd week and they were clear)-probably from the mailman who apparently hated eggs-or me-since he tossed and rolled the box to me and it was leaking egg

...and then I watch an 18 months old last week who ran to the eggs while I was in the kitchen and threw a heavy toy through the top plastic window and smashed 4 eggs

so yesterday when the temps went up and down literally every hour I was thinking I'm going to screw up and hurt these new poor eggs I received (Creveceours), which are another critically endangered breed that I'm 'trying' to be supportive of . I'm better today-the incubator is better today-I rearranged everything and made a few calm adjustments and so far its fair, but I definitely read up on installing a different temp/fan/regulator system so I'll be working on it this weekend. Thanks for the link too. The temp and humidity still go up and down, so as long as I'm home and looking how to better it it'll be fine.

I don't really tell people this too much but I have a beautiful great daughter that may need to grow up with us and stay with us, and we love our chickens so much-even though its only been about 4 months into this, that we thought it might be a wonderful way to have an at home job for the two of us, as well as try to be/teach the family how to always have preservation and sustainability in mind. So instead of this being a hobby-which hobbies are great-this is the first hobbie my family has seen me actually want to do-it became very real and very important to me to make this work. Anyways, chickens = happiness, not stress

I'm sure it will be fine, we're good mommies to them

Thanks again

1 Amazing Husband, 3 Terrific children, 2 Javas, 3 EE's, (5 Leghorns & 9 Creveceours in the bator), and one egg-hating postman

 

[Flawedatdesign]

Well the experience it's self is worth every second of it. Even though out of 2 hatches and 48 eggs I have 3 chicks I wouldn't trade a thing for what went on as I learned from it. I plan to buy an actually cabinet incubator closer to spring, But I'm having a blast with the DIY bators.

There is a big learning curve but in the long run that is what makes it worth it.

 

[53convert]

Hum............just darn bad luck so far.
Tip. Set up your bator several days BEFORE the eggs arrive, get that temp stabilized. Have on hand more than one temp guage............I use three and make sure they are ALL reading within 1/2degreee of one another,,,,,,,,,,,and thats before I set the eggs.
Tip. Get an egg turner.
Tip getTurkeyrbastertor and add a long straw to the end, that way you can add a controlled amount of water through the vent hole and without opening the bator up.
Tip..........relax, no matter what you do, they will only do one of two things, hatch or not. You can control the process tdegreeegre but nature will do its on thing.

I have handled over 30dozen shipped eggs and have usually had a 70% hatch rhave.
I hae also hatched eggs gathered from by own flock..........again with good results..............Its not rocket science as much as good old fashioned patience and understanding of the process.

Good luck