Incubator - Mistakes, Solutions, Survival

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Hey, fairly new, would like to hear what has happened with other people what problems came, and how they fixed it.

I am looking at building a cabinet incubator (16"x16"x48") with 8"(inches) between shelves hopeing for 6 to 9 shelves at 50 chicken eggs per shelf (then probably loan the space inside as a community incubator because I do not know where to get so many eggs)

Let us know what you have been through and how you fixed the problem, its alwase better to learn when other people are willing to share their mistakes...

 

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My incubator went on the fritz and the thermometer went up to 114 and died for me waking up to it being close to 73...

I had an economy bird bath De-Icer taped to the bottom of a tile in my chicken coop (plugged in with the water placed on the tile to keep from freezing) and a Lower hot water heater thermostat (used to turn the heat-lamp on and off in my brooder according to temp... you hear alot about hot lights causing fires) combined the two in my little giant under the automatic turner... after 12 hr's of watching and adjusting its about perfect for keeping the temp within 2 deg.

 

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for eating eggs you do the float test to see if the egg is good to eat. if it floats its bad... BUT

my incubator went on the fritz and the thermometer went up to 114... eggs less than 10 days sunk while the rest floated, one floated high, another cracked, and the last stunk bad and was leaking

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[midget_farms]

I learned that humidity is the key to a good hatch.

I thought I didn't have enough airflow - but in fact I had so much airflow I could not keep the humidity high during lockdown. Cost me half or more of my hatch.

It was during the second hatch that I discovered the issue was too much air. I blocked some vents 7 had good results.

For your cabinet bator you will need a fan - or you will have too much heat at the top & not enough at the bottom.