we have a home made incubator made with an old refrigerator, with computerized heater thermostat and egg turners. We have done 2 runs with it and have sat over a 100 eggs, ( think like 125 or there abouts) both times we only got like 25-25 chicks so it IS working, just not well..
After the first run I put several computer fans in the fridge to help with air flow, and a humidifier on a timer and a decent fan in the bottom of the fridge instead of just a pan of water.
Both times in last of the second week the temperature jumped up to 101-102 briefly and then dropped down to normal. I talked to the company about it, and they said that the outside temperature could cause the fluctuation. It was hot outside but not that hot.. I was told just because the temperature jumped that high it would not kill the chicks.
I have thought about putting another computer fan on the mid lever rack to help push the warm air down to the bottom rack better and maybe that would help with hatch rates, but the guy at the company suggested ( they saw the diagram and pictures, and they said that the fridge should work) that adding another fan would cause slightly more heat inside. I questioned that saying, I would think that the computerized thermostat should adjust for the slight temperature difference generated by a small computer fan.
I expected some no hatchers- as some of the eggs where a bit older, and I found one that I had been given wasn't even fertile, but I don't think my no hatch rate should be THAT low.
I am going to try and post the diagram of the incubator, Would appreciate any thoughts that might help improve the hatch rate..
thanks..
I am having problems uploading the picture, I have a different picture on the web site clipboard and cannot get rid of the old one and upload the new one.. any ideas?.
After the first run I put several computer fans in the fridge to help with air flow, and a humidifier on a timer and a decent fan in the bottom of the fridge instead of just a pan of water.
Both times in last of the second week the temperature jumped up to 101-102 briefly and then dropped down to normal. I talked to the company about it, and they said that the outside temperature could cause the fluctuation. It was hot outside but not that hot.. I was told just because the temperature jumped that high it would not kill the chicks.
I have thought about putting another computer fan on the mid lever rack to help push the warm air down to the bottom rack better and maybe that would help with hatch rates, but the guy at the company suggested ( they saw the diagram and pictures, and they said that the fridge should work) that adding another fan would cause slightly more heat inside. I questioned that saying, I would think that the computerized thermostat should adjust for the slight temperature difference generated by a small computer fan.
I expected some no hatchers- as some of the eggs where a bit older, and I found one that I had been given wasn't even fertile, but I don't think my no hatch rate should be THAT low.
I am going to try and post the diagram of the incubator, Would appreciate any thoughts that might help improve the hatch rate..
thanks..
I am having problems uploading the picture, I have a different picture on the web site clipboard and cannot get rid of the old one and upload the new one.. any ideas?.