Incubators Anonymous

[chiqita]

OK DM that made my morning. I forgot I have one I was going to turn into a hatcher. Hrm.... Anyone have link to plans?

 

[DMRippy]

i have a huge bator and a Hatcher and another bigger Hatcher waiting to rewired up. I don't NEED another bator. this would be smaller and I could hatch at home so the kids can watch.

 

[ShirMik]

Well hatching nearly complete, so far 41 out of 47, not bad for an amateur with a home made incubator, should have built one long ago, happy hatching every-one.

 

[chiqita]

I have an old redwood humidair incubator but its solo big it would need more pans to get it to 65% for hatching. Ideally I'd like to have a hatcher rather then using Styrofoam bators for hatching when there is more eggs.

 

[maryhysong]

I have an old redwood humidair incubator but its solo big it would need more pans to get it to 65% for hatching. Ideally I'd like to have a hatcher rather then using Styrofoam bators for hatching when there is more eggs.

my redwood probably held 300-400 eggs before the lower tray was modified with hatching baskets (so it's taller and takes up more space). I just measured the top board where the original water pan would go, something like 18x18" and went hunting for something that would fill that space as close as possible but not more than 1.5-2" deep. I found Rubbermaid drawer organizers in different sizes and bought what I needed to fill the space as tight as possible. There are three large ones, then a skinny one on the side with a tiny square one. With the trays filled with water but no sponges it will only go to about 45-50%. With 36 cellulose kitchen sponges standing up on end (so they are half out of the water) the humidity goes to 65%, sometimes hitting almost 70% when the chicks start hatching.

this pic is of the set up without water. While incubating I only put water in one large tray and it will run 25-30% depending on ambient.

 

[maryhysong]

DMR , I use my Leahy as a Hatcher for summer and in the winter same temo for hatching NO water as a Dehydrator for fruits and veggies and the garlick oh man the garlic YES mushrooms in now and talk about amazing 8 trays and full. Why cant i fill it up with eggs ?

Look up on craigs list for Leahy incubator or old red wood then give him an option to buy you one for help you convert the side by side LOL that will fix him good

Oh WOW OH WOW OH WOW! Man isn't that a great idea! dang I may never turn this thing off now!

 

[DMRippy]

 

DMR , I use my Leahy as a Hatcher for summer and in the winter same temo for hatching NO water as a Dehydrator for fruits and veggies and the garlick oh man the garlic YES mushrooms in now and talk about amazing 8 trays and full. Why cant i fill it up with eggs ? 

Look up on craigs list for Leahy incubator or old red wood then give him an option to buy you one for help you convert the side by side LOL that will fix him good 

Oh WOW OH WOW OH WOW! Man isn't that a great idea! dang I may never turn this thing off now!

I use a dehydrated heating element in the bator for the winter.

 

[Haloclimb]

I don't think I'll be trying to hatch duck eggs in my incubator again....it just can't hold onto humidity. Out of a dozen eggs, only 2 hatched, one of which died overnight (intestines weren't fully inside)
I'm having one last go at it with a big batch of chicken eggs....I've had chickens hatch out in it fine before. Dumping out the automatic turner though! It's not too good :/

 

[maryhysong]

I don't think I'll be trying to hatch duck eggs in my incubator again....it just can't hold onto humidity. Out of a dozen eggs, only 2 hatched, one of which died overnight (intestines weren't fully inside)
I'm having one last go at it with a big batch of chicken eggs....I've had chickens hatch out in it fine before. Dumping out the automatic turner though! It's not too good

last spring I had 100% hatches on Welsh Harlequins, had one duck, laid every day I set eggs every 7 days. Occasionally an infertile one, some of the early batches had low development rates; but I think they were getting frozen before I could get to them. I ran about 25-30% until lock down then upped it. Now I also have to say I was hatching all in the same big redwood, so fresh eggs on the top tray, then they went down a tray every week or two and hatch in the bottom, so for a couple days each week the humidity was like 60% during that weeks hatch, but then back to 30.

 

[Tammy N]

I have an old redwood humidair incubator but its solo big it would need more pans to get it to 65% for hatching. Ideally I'd like to have a hatcher rather then using Styrofoam bators for hatching when there is more eggs.

Chiqita , Put your water trays " I use metal cake pans the cheap ones " on the rack above the heater so its on the wood panel and the last rack i get mine to 70 with 2 cake pans i have 8 drawers