Newest Homemade Incubator

[MysticScorpio82]

Yay! I have subscribed to this thread so I can stalk....erm...observe your results

In the mean time I am gathering my part hehe

 

[blefky]

The only thing I don't like about this thread is finding it in August rather than March!

Such a long time to wait!

 

[quail kid1]

wow I have all the parts except the lamp and the 60 watt bubl, I have loads of glass tanks, The only hting Im concerned about is
the minimum for turning eggs is 3 times a day, once a day wont do

 

[Highlander]

Very nice, I love how you can see the eggs so clearly. I haven't read anything about air exchange though?

 

[gmendoza]

Quote:
There is a 6.00 fan bought from walmart that does the air exchange.

 

[JulieZ]

Gabriel ... I'm on day 24 with my eggs ... 3 are very alive but not sure about the 4th. I'm wondering about humidity since I had some issues with it. If I had made it stick strictly to 70 & during lock down 80-85, you think it would have played a difference with timing? There's NO WAY lower humidity will work after this ordeal but I don't know what too high constitutes ??

 

[gmendoza]

Quote:
I think your 80-85 is way too high.a good temp is 70%.

Two things can happen in the egg.One,the chick can get stuck to the shell,which is low humidity.two, the chick can drown in the shell due to its body absorbing too much moisture,or not enough,or the moisture inside the egg didn't evaporate and when the chick turns to pip,it drowns.

Out of our first 12 quail eggs in the incubator these were the conditions:

1. 5 hatched successfully
2. 3 had hairline cracks and didn't develop due to that problem
3. 2 had never fully developed
4. 2 had fully developed but drowned in the shell

my solution was to make a better quail coop.I did this already by making one 7'x4' widex3' tall on 2' stilts.This solved the problem of the quail cracking the shells.We made half the floor of wood,the other half of 1/2" plastic mesh.The wood has sand on it.it helps in the eggs being laid without cracks.So one problem out of the way.

I cannot solve the problem of the eggs not being fertile. If my roo doesn't mate with one of them,then its not my fault.I can make a battery cage for just him and the one female who doesn't want to mate with him,but then the other two will not be fertile as well.I will just leave it in his court.

I have set my humidity at 70% by fine tuning my lid on my incubator.I hope to get better results this next round.

I also have an advantage,because I own my own hens and roos that are sexually mature,so fertile eggs are a plenty and free here.I have a wide variety to experiment with,win or lose,to find the best results.Not saying anything bad about yours,but mine are at no cost so the disappointment levels are not as high.

I wish I could tell you more JulieZ. But I treat it as a science.If I leave it to our broodies,then its natures deal to play.

Sometimes any incubator can crap out.I myself don't have 400+ dollars to shell out for a sportsman incubator.I have to do with what I have.Maybe there is a way you can revamp it or have other ideas how to improve it.

I know I am blazing a trail on unbroken ground by doing it this way,but hey,its worth a shot.

Gabriel

 

[LaurenM23]

For those concerned with turning the eggs, I wonder if you could use the auto egg turner from the LG in this (if it fit in the tank). You might have to adjust the temp to compensate for the turner motor, but as long as it fits inside your particular tank, why not? Seems like it could give you the best of both worlds, since some of us don't have schedules conducive to the turning schedule. It probably won't fit in most 10 gallon configurations, but I'm sure something the right size exists out there somewhere.

Great looking incubator, OP!!!

 

[speedy2020]

Quote:
Any chance photo of the aquarium incubator from the top? And what type of bulb are you using?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
There is not a lot of "disinformation" going around. There is a lot of "what works for me" where I am with my setup.
If you need over 60% to hatch then you are over ventilating.
http://cmfarm.us/ventilation.html