- Nov 15, 2012
- 26
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I have a hova bator 1586. I poked two tiny holes in the styrafoam near the motor of the automatic egg turner as I noticed it gives off heat and I am afraid the fan is not strong enough to push the air around the hovabator evenly on its own.
I have 28 jumbo coturnix quail eggs and 10 chinese painted button fresh fertile quail eggs. Which I obtained from a wonderfully generous farmer (what a lovely couple) 2 hours from my place. I have been letting the eggs climatize to our room temperature overnight with the pointy end down. I am going to put the coturnix quail eggs in the hovabator in this morning. The hovabator has been plugged in for two days so that I could monitor the fluctuations in temp. I noticed that it was NOT keeping consistent temp throughout, until I poked those two holes near the motor of the automatic turner. Now it seems much more even. Before I poked those two holes the hovabator was too hot on the egg turner motor side and obviously cooler on the left side. I have three thermometers throughout. One on the right near the motor (which is the old traditional style thermometer that came with the hobavator), a small rectangular digital hydrometer/thermometer by 'Springfield" (which does not seem too accurate as it does not really fluctate too much at all) it seems to either read 95.5f or 99.5f and never temps in between ~ its odd). My digital probe reads between 36.8c (98.2f) to 37.9c (100.2f) consistently now.
I just took the temperature (with my digital probe thermometer) from two locations (without opening the hoba vator). The top hole reads 37.7c (pretty good right?) the bottom hole near the motor reads 38.4c I guess I will just skip a couple spots in the egg turner tray near the motor since I will not be filling the hobavator to capacity.
I am putting my coturnix eggs into the hobavator in a few hours. I will be unplugging the hobavator for a few minutes prior to loading up the eggs so that the eggs don't go into shock (my home temperature is 21.1c (70f) I don't want to shock them by putting the eggs into a hot incubator. I will plug it in again once the eggs are all loaded up.
I have read so many different hydrometer settings. Some ppl say hydrometer should be at 30% and increase to 55% when in lock down. Others say 80% and then increase to 90% when in lockdown... Does anyone have experience with hatching quails?
I have a fish tubing that I have attached to a feeding syringe and this little contraption will allow me to add water to the hobabator through the hole so I do not need to open the hobavator unnecessarily.
Also is it possible to candle quail eggs? If so at how many days? Is it smart to add the button quail eggs two days after I put the coturnix in? The breeder told me the coturnix will take an extra two days to hatch out and I do not want to have to open the incubator to get the button quail when the coturnix are so close to lock down... does that make sense? I heard that once a chick is peeping if you open the incubator it will create like a vacuum and it will be very difficult for the chick to get out of the egg unassisted.
Any tips, and advice welcome... on how to remove chicks safely from incubator...
What temp should broodery be at once chicks are removed from incubator? How long should chicks be in there?
Oh ya I forgot to say that I am in Canada. Ontario Canada and this is my very first time hatching anything. Our family is very excited.
I have 28 jumbo coturnix quail eggs and 10 chinese painted button fresh fertile quail eggs. Which I obtained from a wonderfully generous farmer (what a lovely couple) 2 hours from my place. I have been letting the eggs climatize to our room temperature overnight with the pointy end down. I am going to put the coturnix quail eggs in the hovabator in this morning. The hovabator has been plugged in for two days so that I could monitor the fluctuations in temp. I noticed that it was NOT keeping consistent temp throughout, until I poked those two holes near the motor of the automatic turner. Now it seems much more even. Before I poked those two holes the hovabator was too hot on the egg turner motor side and obviously cooler on the left side. I have three thermometers throughout. One on the right near the motor (which is the old traditional style thermometer that came with the hobavator), a small rectangular digital hydrometer/thermometer by 'Springfield" (which does not seem too accurate as it does not really fluctate too much at all) it seems to either read 95.5f or 99.5f and never temps in between ~ its odd). My digital probe reads between 36.8c (98.2f) to 37.9c (100.2f) consistently now.
I just took the temperature (with my digital probe thermometer) from two locations (without opening the hoba vator). The top hole reads 37.7c (pretty good right?) the bottom hole near the motor reads 38.4c I guess I will just skip a couple spots in the egg turner tray near the motor since I will not be filling the hobavator to capacity.
I am putting my coturnix eggs into the hobavator in a few hours. I will be unplugging the hobavator for a few minutes prior to loading up the eggs so that the eggs don't go into shock (my home temperature is 21.1c (70f) I don't want to shock them by putting the eggs into a hot incubator. I will plug it in again once the eggs are all loaded up.
I have read so many different hydrometer settings. Some ppl say hydrometer should be at 30% and increase to 55% when in lock down. Others say 80% and then increase to 90% when in lockdown... Does anyone have experience with hatching quails?
I have a fish tubing that I have attached to a feeding syringe and this little contraption will allow me to add water to the hobabator through the hole so I do not need to open the hobavator unnecessarily.
Also is it possible to candle quail eggs? If so at how many days? Is it smart to add the button quail eggs two days after I put the coturnix in? The breeder told me the coturnix will take an extra two days to hatch out and I do not want to have to open the incubator to get the button quail when the coturnix are so close to lock down... does that make sense? I heard that once a chick is peeping if you open the incubator it will create like a vacuum and it will be very difficult for the chick to get out of the egg unassisted.
Any tips, and advice welcome... on how to remove chicks safely from incubator...
What temp should broodery be at once chicks are removed from incubator? How long should chicks be in there?
Oh ya I forgot to say that I am in Canada. Ontario Canada and this is my very first time hatching anything. Our family is very excited.
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