Incubators Anonymous

[SewChaos]

Hello all, I just purchased an old Sportsman 1202? (no tag) and I am reading thru this thread from the beginning. I am happy to say that, while I haven't been CURED of wanting to hatch eggs, at least I have been slowed down by the realization that If I fill that up I will have to make LOTS of pens, and I don't have space.. yet. I am taking it apart for re-painting, the original job was over rough wood and its much easier to clean something if the surface doesn't have ridges, so I will be sanding them all off and repainting. Its a rusty red color now, looks in great shape in the interior, but the exterior really needs painting. I tested it, the heaters/thermostats and turner all work, and somebody replaced the front wooden door with a solid huge piece of plexiglass.. I am happy!





I wanted to comment on the flexwat and making ecobrooders. I used a plant heating pad (waterproof and heat regulated to about 98 deg F) underneath a small oil pan, I wired it to the underside and cut holes for the chicks to go underneath. However, most of them preferred to roost ON TOP of it, so I am glad I put the pad underneath - much easier to clean that way and they can't damage the pad and get to the electrical wires. I don't think I would cover the flexwatt with anything, mostly because stickum doesn't last long in the heat, and the birds will be sitting on top of it. I ended up using a burlap sack on top of the oil pan, it was much easier to clean by just taking off the burlap and putting down a new piece and cleaning the dirty one.

I use a seedling heat mat in the outside brooder, with the eco-glow if it's going to get in the teens. They can only heat about 20 degrees higher than the air temp. They're great though, easy to clean and water proof. I have a small reptile heat mat I picked up from goodwill that I can use too. Flexwatt is just so much cheaper than buying the heat mats.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

we have 7 lo peepers this morning all fluffed out and looking good

, 1 easter egger

and 2 we are not sure yets

, have to check the egg shells tonight.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Oh yes, I wasn't trying to get temperatures up from that low. I suppose if you use a rheostat or controlling thermostat and make an encasement out of something inflamable it would work.

I have just been playing with some of the radiant heat barrier like DMRippy used in her brooders/baters and I was amazed at how warm it felt in my hands just reflecting my own heat back. I wonder if that could be put to use to keep the chick's own heat reflected back at them, or to make a "warm room" for them to go in if they get cold?

 

[ki4got]

Quote: Oh yes, I wasn't trying to get temperatures up from that low. I suppose if you use a rheostat or controlling thermostat and make an encasement out of something inflamable it would work.

I have just been playing with some of the radiant heat barrier like DMRippy used in her brooders/baters and I was amazed at how warm it felt in my hands just reflecting my own heat back. I wonder if that could be put to use to keep the chick's own heat reflected back at them, or to make a "warm room" for them to go in if they get cold?
my youngest chicks went outside earlier this week, when it was close to 60. today's high is 25 LOL. i have a 60 watt heat emitter in their house about 14" from the floor and they've been snuggling up there just fine. the food is on the other side of the house and water outside (heated bowl). i have caught them outside even today, briefly, digging thru the shavings i put on the ground out there to help with mud issues.

be careful with some of the reptile 'hot rocks' as they can get hot enough to cause burns... i like the idea of a regulated heat seed mat. actually it sounds like it'd be good even for an incubator, with an addition of maybe a light bulb to notch it up that extra 1.5 degrees... maybe some flex-watt would do the trick too, then you've got a nice, open incubator without the traditionally exposed heat element.

has anyone tried a regular old heating pad sold for people use? wondering how hot the different settings would get... i've got one upstairs, maybe i should go play with it and see. i'm sure it could be wired to a thermostat too, if needed, to keep it from getting too hot.

 

[SewChaos]

my youngest chicks went outside earlier this week, when it was close to 60. today's high is 25 LOL. i have a 60 watt heat emitter in their house about 14" from the floor and they've been snuggling up there just fine. the food is on the other side of the house and water outside (heated bowl). i have caught them outside even today, briefly, digging thru the shavings i put on the ground out there to help with mud issues.

be careful with some of the reptile 'hot rocks' as they can get hot enough to cause burns... i like the idea of a regulated heat seed mat. actually it sounds like it'd be good even for an incubator, with an addition of maybe a light bulb to notch it up that extra 1.5 degrees... maybe some flex-watt would do the trick too, then you've got a nice, open incubator without the traditionally exposed heat element.

has anyone tried a regular old heating pad sold for people use? wondering how hot the different settings would get... i've got one upstairs, maybe i should go play with it and see. i'm sure it could be wired to a thermostat too, if needed, to keep it from getting too hot.

I used my seedling heat mat in my cooler-bator, with an additional fish-tank sized light for additional heat. Alone, it couldn't get hot enough. Over all it was great though. My "person" heating pad turns its self off if I leave it on too long, as a safety thing. Don't think that would work.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: well, i've got an older one that'll stay on forever. LOL

besides, if you're wiring it to a thermostat, you'd be cutting off the controller anyways. so it'd be either on or off, and i doubt it would be on long enough to time out regardless, if it's on a thermostat.

 

[Flowerbh]

Hatching day.....only one hatched so far...two pipped and waiting on the others. Yea!

 

[SewChaos]

Good point! Didn't think that one through all the way. When I used the seedling mat in the bator, it was just plugged in to an outlet. The lightbulb was attached to the thermostat. And it would click on and off as needed. Currently the mat is outside with the water bowl on top of it, puigged into a temp controlled outlet, so the water doesn't freeze. So many uses!

 

[Impress]

I set 8 Muscovy eggs, 8 Chocolate Orpington eggs (for a friend), 8 Lemon Cuckoo Orpington eggs, 4 Cuckoo Maran eggs, and 19 bantam eggs yesterday (a mixture of bantam Easter Eggers, and random OEGB eggs.)

Goodness I am going to be overwhelmed here in three weeks. I am still building my brooder I need to get on the ball!

 

[MomsGoneMild]

My palms are itching to set. My last hatch was halloween. Making myself wait to set til early March for an Easter hatch. Building my wishlist and window shopping for breeders now. Anyone know what is the difference between self-blue, blue, blue columbian, and lavender? Also do you have suggestions as to any breeders that have very nice typed bantam cochins in these colors? Xoxo Annmarie