Natural Nest incubation(my attempt)

[foxvalleyfarm]

OK so as soon as I get home I'm going to do my best to get the water out of my LG and just let it be a mostly dry hatch. I will mist the fowl every so often with warm water. I am also going to Wal-Mart now to get some more thermometers and try to find a cheap hydrometer. I think I need to stop reading stuff on this site and just have faith in the Lord that these babies will hatch.

 

[Beekissed]

OK so as soon as I get home I'm going to do my best to get the water out of my LG and just let it be a mostly dry hatch. I will mist the fowl every so often with warm water. I am also going to Wal-Mart now to get some more thermometers and try to find a cheap hydrometer. I think I need to stop reading stuff on this site and just have faith in the Lord that these babies will hatch.

That's been my conclusion as well...it's so easy to get caught up in all the back and forth of incubation and how other folks do it, but we are not doing it like other people, so some of the things just don't apply.

The temps apply, but in a different way, the humidity doesn't apply because it's not being controlled, the development may be different because we are using a different kind of incubation and we do not have the hen's ability to shift the eggs to the center of the nest according to development, so ours is random.

It's one of those faith things and I have grown very fond of stepping out on faith in the Lord..it's always exciting, a learning experience and no matter what happens, I can be content because I know He is in control and I am not.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

That's been my conclusion as well...it's so easy to get caught up in all the back and forth of incubation and how other folks do it, but we are not doing it like other people, so some of the things just don't apply.

The temps apply, but in a different way, the humidity doesn't apply because it's not being controlled, the development may be different because we are using a different kind of incubation and we do not have the hen's ability to shift the eggs to the center of the nest according to development, so ours is random.

It's one of those faith things and I have grown very fond of stepping out on faith in the Lord..it's always exciting, a learning experience and no matter what happens, I can be content because I know He is in control and I am not.

Well as far as the box goes that one seems to be going good even if my dirt seems more like mud the air cells are shrinking slightly. And there is development.

But what I was refering to was the styrofoam incubator I bought. It's a Little Giant and most people seem to have a lot of issues with it. And right now I have about half the water wells filled half way, but I think I'm going to try to get most if not all the water out when I get home.

I also think my big issue is my room temps, but I don't have any other options unless I can magically make room in with my brooder, where the meaties keep it around 70 degress with just their body heat. But they are probably getting the Boot tomorrow morning(despite the lack of feathers and the threat of dropping temps. They are just getting too big and too smelly, hub wants to kill them now.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Quote:

OK so as soon as I get home I'm going to do my best to get the water out of my LG and just let it be a mostly dry hatch. I will mist the fowl every so often with warm water. I am also going to Wal-Mart now to get some more thermometers and try to find a cheap hydrometer. I think I need to stop reading stuff on this site and just have faith in the Lord that these babies will hatch.

I would recommend against getting a CHEAP hygrometer. I did that a couple years ago and it forever told me that my humidity was low. I practically filled all the reservoirs to overflowing and it was still too low. Had a bad hatch. Spend the money and get a better one. You won't be sorry.

Well as far as the box goes that one seems to be going good even if my dirt seems more like mud the air cells are shrinking slightly. And there is development.

But what I was refering to was the styrofoam incubator I bought. It's a Little Giant and most people seem to have a lot of issues with it. And right now I have about half the water wells filled half way, but I think I'm going to try to get most if not all the water out when I get home.

I also think my big issue is my room temps, but I don't have any other options unless I can magically make room in with my brooder, where the meaties keep it around 70 degress with just their body heat. But they are probably getting the Boot tomorrow morning(despite the lack of feathers and the threat of dropping temps. They are just getting too big and too smelly, hub wants to kill them now.

I don't have a still air incubator and your instructions may be different but on mine the directions said to only fill one of the reservoirs. You don't want to make it too wet or you'll have problems with your chicks. Not trying to tell you how to do it, just hoping you don't have the problems I had when my hygrometer told me I needed more water!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

I only bought a cheap one to hold me til my good one comes in. I also emptied all the water out of it.

 

[BlessedCountry6]

This is very interesting to read! I pray your hatching goes well and I will be following this thread to hear how things are going!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Just thought I would share with you...

I was reading where someone built their own incubator out of stuff they had around they house and they made their own water wiggler (?). What he did was take an egg and break a hole in the top of it, emptied it out and then washed it out with dish soap. Once he had it clean, he filled it with some liquid antibacterial soap and then stuck his little thermometer thing in it like you did with a real egg and its contents.

If there is a way to do this and then seal up that egg so that you wouldn't have to worry about it spilling its contents, this is something I would love to try.

Did you seal your egg back up? How?

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

This is very interesting to read!  I pray your hatching goes well and I will be following this thread to hear how things are going!

Thank you. And. Lucy I don't reseal it. I don't let the eggs touch it and it gets changed every other day.

 

[Beekissed]

Just thought I would share with you...

I was reading where someone built their own incubator out of stuff they had around they house and they made their own water wiggler (?). What he did was take an egg and break a hole in the top of it, emptied it out and then washed it out with dish soap. Once he had it clean, he filled it with some liquid antibacterial soap and then stuck his little thermometer thing in it like you did with a real egg and its contents.

If there is a way to do this and then seal up that egg so that you wouldn't have to worry about it spilling its contents, this is something I would love to try.

Did you seal your egg back up? How?

I'd reseal it with a piece of duct tape and just poke my thermometer through the duct tape, then I'd tape around that area as well. I've used duct tape on plumbing pipes that held really well for years...it might just work.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

I'd reseal it with a piece of duct tape and just poke my thermometer through the duct tape, then I'd tape around that area as well.  I've used duct tape on plumbing pipes that held really well for years...it might just work. 

I may try it. But we only make the hole big enough for the thermometer. And seal any cracks with clear nail polish. And then change the egg every other day or so.