Incubators Anonymous

[ChickNmamma]

Just set 50 eggs! I am super super excited about these, Blue & Gold Partridge Brahmas, Dark Brahmas, Sulmtalers, and the first eggs from my LC and Lav orps

I actually had to pick up another Genesis today to accommodate...I had two LG's in the closet, fired up one last week to lockdown some other eggs but when I remembered what a PIA it was to keep @ temp I realized I would be better off just getting another Genesis and forgetting the LG's altogether!!! So glad I did, nothing like a fire & forget bator. So, now I have my 4 HB's going, and still need a hatcher, LOL. The next new bator I buy will be a Dickey

Can you use the LG for a hatcher?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
They were all Wheaten Ams.... never had an issue with them before so it is strange. I moved the box they were in just incase they were too hot in that corner but some other eggs had to go in that corner. I did have a SBEL that died in the hatcher from the other hatch. He didn't FLUFF up either. I think that was it. May just be an oddity

 

[Overoberyl]

They were all Wheaten Ams.... never had an issue with them before so it is strange. I moved the box they were in just incase they were too hot in that corner but some other eggs had to go in that corner. I did have a SBEL that died in the hatcher from the other hatch. He didn't FLUFF up either. I think that was it. May just be an oddity

I wonder if that box just isn't getting enough air, even if the vent holes are large if the fan isn't big enough it might not be moving the air through the corners...maybe?

 

[Overoberyl]

Can you use the LG for a hatcher?

Yeah, that's what I did a few days ago, just reminded me how much of a pain the LG is, I just couldn't get the temp just right, it would get up to 101.5 and still climbing, I would turn it down just a teeeeeeny tiny smidge and it would go down to 97...everything still hatched out just fine but it was stressful!! I will probably use one of my Genesis' for the hatcher (that's what I had been doing until I went crazy setting everything), just will have to move some eggs around, but the next lockdown will be almost a complete bator-ful so it should work out...

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: that may be it.

 

[Pinx]

Well I think I am in over my head now. I have 2 cheapy incubators, one for incubating and the other for hatching. I hatched all of last year and finally turned the incubators off around January... and just fired my incubators back up again.

I had a dog problem at the end of last year that wiped out every hen I had in my outside pen, all that was left was my rooster, 5 chicks, and 4 ducks. I plan on building my flock back up this year, and hatching some out for my neighbor as well.

Some how I think I am going to incubate eggs from my 4 bantam pullets (should be laying pretty soon, and if like their mothers will lay like crazy), eggs from my 4 Serama hens (also good little layers), a dozen LF eggs a week from my neighbor... and now I am going to throw eggs in from my 3 Cayuga girls.

The chances of anything going broody around here are slim until my bantams get a little older so it is all on me lol. I don't know the first thing about hatching Duck eggs... but I have spent most the night trying to figure that out.

I think I am severely addicted to take all of this on at once lol. It is hard though to incubate only some eggs.... How do you ever decide which ones to put in the fridge?? Well it is simple... just put them all in the incubator lol.

 

[hokankai]

I hatched on the 10th and just set 52 eggs for a couple people. This will be my 3rd hatch! I'm really diggin' it

 

[GreenGirlGrammy]

I hatched on the 10th and just set 52 eggs for a couple people. This will be my 3rd hatch! I'm really diggin' it

What is all that stuff to the back of your bator? I recognize the digital therm, but what are the other items? Love the olive eggs.

 

[hokankai]

From left to right, they are: my calibrated hygrometer (it has a magnet on the back and it attached to a cap), my calibrated thermometer, a water bottle to act as a heat sink in case the power goes out, the water wiggler in front of it with the thermometer probe in it, and my humidity source (the red ceramic bowl is heavy so it doesn't move around and the little plastic container inside is where I put the "red" water through that black tubing). The water is red so that I can see the level easier

 

[ozexpat]

From left to right, they are: my calibrated hygrometer (it has a magnet on the back and it attached to a cap), my calibrated thermometer, a water bottle to act as a heat sink in case the power goes out, the water wiggler in front of it with the thermometer probe in it, and my humidity source (the red ceramic bowl is heavy so it doesn't move around and the little plastic container inside is where I put the "red" water through that black tubing). The water is red so that I can see the level easier

with that many eggs the mass of the water bottle will have little difference in the bators temp stability. its taking up valuable real estate. you could easily have 4 more eggs in there!!!