instructions for incubators .....

[SteveH]

....... from a 1947 Popular Mechanics Farm Journal I own states that white eggs should be started at 102 degrees with weekly raises of 1 degree leading up to hatching at 104 to 105 ; brown eggs were to be run at one degree warmer . Does anybody still incubate brown eggs at higher temps ?

The instructions also have specific times to remove and cool the eggs in a 65 degree room at turning times . I wish I had the means of posting the entire instructions for building and operating the incubators . One is heated by a light bulb and the other by a kerosene lantern , and includes instructions for building a thermostat from scratch that controls the light bulb through the borrowed ignition points out of an automobile or tractor , or deflects the heat rising from the kerosene lantern into or away from a manifold built into the incubator .

p.s. the book IS a LITTLE older than I am

edt for clarity

 

[PandoraTaylor]

cool
I love old books.
If I had it I would scan it, and make a pdf.....just for the info value

 

[dovecanyon]

Hey, I'm willing to try it on some Trader Joe's, or farmer's market eggs. If you can scan and post it, I'll give it a shot and let you know how it works out. I would probably use the incubator I already have, but would follow the temperature and other directions. I have too much time on my hands anyway...

 

[panner123]

I can remember my grand father saying, "we use to do it this way or that way but we lost so many chicks." That was in the early 50's, when he first started hatching all the eggs the same way at a constant 100 degrees. He always seemed pleased with the outcome of each hatch. Every once in awhile he would try the old way, only I can't repeat what he said about the outcome for this is a family site. I did hear many of the same terms while in the Navy.

 

[dovecanyon]

OK then... never mind. I think I'll stick with what I'm doing.
Would be fun to try it though.

 

[SteveH]

I'm still pretty ignorant about computers but could probably get the pages scanned if posting them did not violate a copyright . I was just wondering about the difference in temps for white versus brown eggs

It also called for removing the eggs into a 65 degree room for daily turning and keeping them out untill they felt cool to your cheek . At hatch day you were to wet a wool cloth in warm water , wring it out , then cover the eggs with it untill you observed hatching activity under the cloth to signal its time for removal . Pretty hands-on job hatching without a broody in 1947 !

 

[rosco]

from a 1947 Popular Mechanics Farm Journal I own states that white eggs should be started at 102 degrees with weekly raises of 1 degree leading up to hatching at 104 to 105 ; brown eggs were to be run at one degree warmer

Steve,
I've wondered about the tight temperature range of 99.5-100.5. a chickens body temperature will vary more than that over a day. especially if eating periodically. but who noze

The concept of letting the eggs cool off at turning time. hmmm, i've not seen a hen "turn" eggs that was sitting on them just one of mine pushing plastic eggs around from outside the nest. this is cool stuff. if the hen gets up and airs out the eggs/nest, then i want to do that too.

but for now, i'll just focus my attention on turning the eggs thrice daily.

That is some good stuff! Modernization certainly had a few stumbles! if you get a chance, please scan and post.

rosco

 

[Akane]

Hens get up at least once a day and the eggs will cool some. One reason I actually prefer to open an incubator every day and have no problem candling frequently. Hens naturally allow fresh air on the eggs and they survive a short cooling period just fine. I suspect though that purposely cooling the eggs multiple times a day is not useful with our incubators and actually helped counter the high temps they were incubating at. Most likely we are also talking still air incubation where the temp is recommended to be a degree or 2 higher. Even new still airs are run at 101-102 instead of 99-100.

 

[SteveH]

I gave up the idea of trying to scan the instructions as they will be hard to read [ small light print on yellowed pages ] so here are the instructions as hand copied :

-------------------------------------

Apply several layers of paper to the egg tray and place it in the incubator without the eggs . Set the thermostat at 102 degrees and maintain this temperature for 24 hrs . After 24 hrs at 102 load the eggs , a few can be stacked with small end down near the thermometer on the third or fourth row from the door . [ I will explain that this instruction is naturally for a still air bator and the egg tray is a wooden framed , wire bottomed rectangular unit designed for 100 chicken eggs , and there is one below it with a solid bottom for hatchlings . Humidity is not monitored but there is water pan at the bottom . I assume these stacked eggs are to be a little farther from the heat source because they are going to be higher and therefore in warmer air ]

After 7 days in warm weather , remove the paper fom under the eggs ; 10 to 14 days in cold weather . Keep the tray crowded , even if necessary to put a block or stick of wood in back . Allow the eggs to absorb heat gradually but do not change the setting for the first week . The first week it should be set at 102 for white eggs , 103 for brown . The second week set the temperature for 103 or one degree higher for brown ; third week 104 with one degree higher for brown . Temperature should be 104 or 105 on hatch day . Chickens hatch on day 21 , counting from the second day after being placed in the incubator .

On the fourth day and twice each day thereafter up to and including the eighteenth day , the egg tray should be removed from the incubator and set to rest on top of the incubator in the room that is being maintained at a temperature of 65 degrees . Remove the eggs from the center of the tray and roll the others gently back and forth , finally leaving them towards the center . Do the same with the ones laid aside , placing them towards the outside of the tray . Leave the eggs outside of the incubator untill cool to the cheek , or about 5 to 10 minites the first week , 10 to 15 the second , and 15 to 20 the third . Just before hatching , cover the eggs with a pourus wool cloth wrung out of hot water and cover the eggs . This will help the chicks to breack the eggs . Remove the cloth as soon as hatching starts .

------------------------------------

The instructions about adding the wet cloth reminds me of the dry incubation with raised humidity after lockdown that I read about here on BYC .

There are added instructions for filling the hatchling tray with damp sand in addition to the water pan , and fully opening the bottom vent to increase the humidity for duck or goose eggs .

 

[dovecanyon]

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to type the whole thing! I doubt anyone expected you to do that. I certainly didn't. It is interesting, isn't it?

Well... I copied this into a Word doc and saved in my "chicken" folder. I may have to give it a try on a few eggs when our current hatch is finish. It will be an interesting experiment. My son could use it as an extra-credit report for school, comparing the modern method with the old method, and comparing the results.

Thanks again.