Incubators Anonymous

[DMRippy]

how tall do you think a brooder for chicks should be? maybe up to 4 weeks old????? 8 inches 10 inches? I am thinking about redoing my brooders for the little guys.... well EVERY one really but I am going to start with them.

Here is kinda my idea

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/542223/pics-of-rabbit-cages#post_6935622

I want to have the feeder on the outside like the commercial brooders have. I would like for them to hold more feed but since little guys don't eat TONS it will be ok. I am going to use some nipples or the little water cups. I am going to build them with the oil drain pan to catch everything. I may come up with something to catch the extra water they drip. I may make the water outside too and use a PVC pipe cut in half to catch the water drips and drain into a bigger bucket. I am trying to keep the mess down and clean up easy. All will be the same size so I don't have to move them based on size till they are ready to go out to the BIG house LOL. I might make another one for the bigger chicks. I need to get VERTICAL with some of this.

My hubby is ON BOARD now that he see the VISION. Would love to have these for the BIG move to the BIGGER area.

 

[ocap]

last spring I used 2 foot vertical sides and the chicks were flying up to the edge before I thought they were ready for the cold Big house.

 

[ozexpat]

i use 16 inch sides and a mesh lid

 

[ki4got]

how tall do you think a brooder for chicks should be? maybe up to 4 weeks old????? 8 inches 10 inches? I am thinking about redoing my brooders for the little guys.... well EVERY one really but I am going to start with them.

Here is kinda my idea

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/542223/pics-of-rabbit-cages#post_6935622

I want to have the feeder on the outside like the commercial brooders have. I would like for them to hold more feed but since little guys don't eat TONS it will be ok. I am going to use some nipples or the little water cups. I am going to build them with the oil drain pan to catch everything. I may come up with something to catch the extra water they drip. I may make the water outside too and use a PVC pipe cut in half to catch the water drips and drain into a bigger bucket. I am trying to keep the mess down and clean up easy. All will be the same size so I don't have to move them based on size till they are ready to go out to the BIG house LOL. I might make another one for the bigger chicks. I need to get VERTICAL with some of this.

My hubby is ON BOARD now that he see the VISION. Would love to have these for the BIG move to the BIGGER area.

my own brooders are 18" tall, but the heat hangs inside (60 watt heat emitter) and I can lower it if needed for little ones, raise it for older, and turn it off entirely when they're about 5-6 weeks old (then again it's in the house). and is tall enough to house adult birds if necessary as well.

 

[sillycmoy]

Not sure where to post this, but no one seems to answer my thread. First time hatching, I just have the Cheap-O LG still air from the feed store because that is all they have in the dead of winter. I had it setup for almost 3 days before I put eggs in it. I have the temp. that came with it and a digital with the humidity in there. Both read the same thing, but now with eggs in there I'm having an issue keeping them the same reading. I put the one that came with the incubator on top of the eggs, and its reading out almost 102, and the digital on the wire floor is reading around 99.8 Is this due to the height of it being on the egg?

I did turn it down so the top is at 100.2 but the bottom is now at 99. I did check the cheap-o one twice now, and it is 3 degree's off, and I have it marked for the correct temp.

My question is what should I watch, the temp on top of the eggs or the temp on the bottom.

Thanks!

 

[DMRippy]

mine are going to be stacked so i cant go very tall. this is my current brooder for the little guys.









So this is the problem for me. The bottom box is too LOW and I can't see in without getting on my hands and knees.... not good on my knees so I don't use it unless I am desperate. The top I use but not much.... too HIGH and I have to use a step ladder. These are tall enough to hold a gallon waterer but they kick litter and feed in it and that is just NASTY to clean and it is a daily job. The flashing has had holes etched in it so I am having to replace that now with plastic. They kick the pine shavings all over the place the doors don't close without cleaning the litter out of the way.

The goal with the new brooder is to ELIMINATE pine shavings. I also want to use nipples so I don't have to have as much space for the gallon waterer and it is cleaner water. I am hoping too that this will cause fewer deaths in the chicks less Cocci outbreaks (not a huge problem really) they should stay warmer since the betting will not be wet with water. It will also give them MORE ROOM. Now - the waterer and feeders take up floor space.

I hatch about 60-100 chicks when I am really hatching big so I need them to be easier to take care of. Right now I have 2 batches in the tall brooder and 3 in totes on the floor.... I don't want totes on the floor. I don't want to CLEAN a brooder....I don't the wasted feed they kick out...... I want something BETTER!

 

[DMRippy]

Not sure where to post this, but no one seems to answer my thread. First time hatching, I just have the Cheap-O LG still air from the feed store because that is all they have in the dead of winter. I had it setup for almost 3 days before I put eggs in it. I have the temp. that came with it and a digital with the humidity in there. Both read the same thing, but now with eggs in there I'm having an issue keeping them the same reading. I put the one that came with the incubator on top of the eggs, and its reading out almost 102, and the digital on the wire floor is reading around 99.8 Is this due to the height of it being on the egg?

I did turn it down so the top is at 100.2 but the bottom is now at 99. I did check the cheap-o one twice now, and it is 3 degree's off, and I have it marked for the correct temp.

My question is what should I watch, the temp on top of the eggs or the temp on the bottom.

Thanks!

I don't have that kinda of bator but I would guess since hot air rises the top would be warmer than the bottom. have you adjusted the temp? DON'T! how long have you had the eggs in there? I always have a fan in my botors to keep temps more even.

 

[ozexpat]

Not sure where to post this, but no one seems to answer my thread. First time hatching, I just have the Cheap-O LG still air from the feed store because that is all they have in the dead of winter. I had it setup for almost 3 days before I put eggs in it. I have the temp. that came with it and a digital with the humidity in there. Both read the same thing, but now with eggs in there I'm having an issue keeping them the same reading. I put the one that came with the incubator on top of the eggs, and its reading out almost 102, and the digital on the wire floor is reading around 99.8 Is this due to the height of it being on the egg?

I did turn it down so the top is at 100.2 but the bottom is now at 99. I did check the cheap-o one twice now, and it is 3 degree's off, and I have it marked for the correct temp.

My question is what should I watch, the temp on top of the eggs or the temp on the bottom.

Thanks!

your temps were exactly where you want them. there is that much difference between the top and bottom of eggs. the guides say top of eggs

 

[sillycmoy]

So I should leave the top at around 100.9 right since its still air, and not worry so much about the bottom?. They have been in a for almost 20 hours, but I was told not to worry about it unless it spikes up passed 102 for more then an hour. I didn't do any adjusting after the first 24 hours of it being setup. So I added eggs at almost 3 days after setup. The temp only went down to about 97 with the 14 eggs added, and then it regulated back up. It was fine the first 10 hours or so then it spiked up to 102, I was just patient and watched, then it went up to about 103, so I freaked out a bit and turned it the slightest. After 2 hours it was still at 102, so I turned it down just the slightest again, not for the last 2 hours the top has been at around 100.5-101. So I didn't know if I want to read the top or the bottom temp.

I do need to go roll them, so I'm sure it will dip for a few. I just wanted to make sure which temp to be watching.

Thanks everyone. If I make it to day 21 without shooting myself. It will be a miracle.

 

[gimmie birdies]

your eggs willl be fine- I am not sure what kind of bator you have mine is homemade- they recommend 102 for homemade bators- which I like, colder chicks in a homemade bator tend to have crooked feet. I don't worry if it spikes up or down a degree or 2, I check my eggs enough and don't let it happen too long.