November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[Heidisgran]

Quote: if they hadn't pipped then they didn't drown! hmmm
they must have been weak....that is high incubation temp and poor ventilation
I should say and/ or maybe not both

 

[DeannaA]

To any who have done a foam cooler bator with light bulb heat source, what wattage bulb did you use? Did you use a dimmer? I think I need to install a dimmer. At 60 watts for a dry hatch my temp runs WAY too high, and even doing a NOT dry hatch a had a couple nearly fatal temp spikes last time. With a 40 watt bulb I just can't seem to get my temp high enough. I haven't seen a 50 watt anywhere. I'm thinking the way to go may be a 60 watt on a dimmer switch. Those who have tried this, how hard to install is it?? Something I could do myself or do I have to WAIT on hubby to get around to it?? I'm pretty handy, so if it's not TOO hard I can probably handle it.

I buy cheapo dimmers at Walmart or Home Depot. Just put it inline with the power cord and the bulb. I use the black light from walmart. 60 Watts. I prefer black light because I buy one kind of bulb to use in my incubator and brooder. The black light allows the chicks to sleep and doesn't bother me as much as the white or red.

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: Deanna did you make your incubator? what temp do you run for incubation and what for hatch?
Jen Deanna is from the same put of the country as you maybe she could help you with optimal temps and humidity....I whole heartedly believe that the temp and humidity have been too high!! I know that your thinking that you've read still air should run higher but that hasn't worked...I think you need to aim for 100 to 100.5 and let the eggs regulate the humidity...unless it gets below 25%
the dimmer sounds perfect because as the eggs dry out the temp will rise...you'll have more control

I'm going to the post today...you should have over a dozen by Friday

so if you set them over the weekend you and your family can enjoy fuzzles while you off for Christmas vacation

 

[MrsJenSmith2007]

Deanna did you make your incubator? what temp do you run for incubation and what for hatch?
Jen Deanna is from the same put of the country as you maybe she could help you with optimal temps and humidity....I whole heartedly believe that the temp and humidity have been too high!! I know that your thinking that you've read still air should run higher but that hasn't worked...I think you need to aim for 100 to 100.5 and let the eggs regulate the humidity...unless it gets below 25%
the dimmer sounds perfect because as the eggs dry out the temp will rise...you'll have more controlI

I'm going to the post today...you should have over a dozen by Friday

so if you set them over the weekend you and your family can enjoy



YAY for fuzzies!! So excited!!! I was thinking the same thing, more control would be great. I think temps may have been too high. I'm picking up yet ANOTHER thermometer today. Thinking of one with a probe. Last hatch I based everything on my old fashioned thermometer. My digital was reading WAAAAAY higher. Like when my old one said 102 it said 112! So I'm afraid maybe it was right! But when the digital read 102, it just didn't feel very warm in the bator to me, so I gathered that the old school one was right and digital was wrong. Tested hygrometers last night the way Deanna suggested. Both read 75% this morning. This just leaves me the question of why the heck they were off from each other by like 30% last night while in the bator!! Surely it can't vary that greatly from one side to the other! I got my room humidity to 55% which is good according to the dry hatch thread. Have all my vent holes open, so hopefully humidity will control itself! Running out this evening to get a thermometer and a dimmer switch! Getting excited for this hatch!! AND if I set them this weekend I should be home for hatch day!! YAY!!!!

I buy cheapo dimmers at Walmart or Home Depot. Just put it inline with the power cord and the bulb. I use the black light from walmart. 60 Watts. I prefer black light because I buy one kind of bulb to use in my incubator and brooder. The black light allows the chicks to sleep and doesn't bother me as much as the white or red.

So I can get one at Walmart? I read that it needs to be a dimmer for a LAMP and not for a light switch. Is that what you use? Also glad to hear you use a 60. I was starting to think I was NUTS because online everyone says they are using a 25! I can't even get it warm enough with a 40!

I made Domino a sock diaper. LOL I will post a picture this evening. Luckily my kiddos had some old mismatched socks to spare! She/he is ADORABLE in the little diaper! She didn't care for it at first, but ultimately decided that if it meant she could still sit on me all the time, she would deal with it. My hubby thinks I'm a nut, but he loves me anyway! haha

Thank you both for all of your advice!!! I'm very grateful to have help from kind and experienced hatchers!! Beats reading a how-to book ANY DAY!

 

[DeannaA]

So I can get one at Walmart? I read that it needs to be a dimmer for a LAMP and not for a light switch. Is that what you use? Also glad to hear you use a 60. I was starting to think I was NUTS because online everyone says they are using a 25! I can't even get it warm enough with a 40!

I made Domino a sock diaper. LOL I will post a picture this evening. Luckily my kiddos had some old mismatched socks to spare! She/he is ADORABLE in the little diaper! She didn't care for it at first, but ultimately decided that if it meant she could still sit on me all the time, she would deal with it. My hubby thinks I'm a nut, but he loves me anyway! haha

Thank you both for all of your advice!!! I'm very grateful to have help from kind and experienced hatchers!! Beats reading a how-to book ANY DAY!

I used a wall light switch dimmer but switched to this, http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-Microc...674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e79fb6222 It turns the light on and off when needed. The wall dimmer works but you have to adjust it and if you bump it... I had a chicken sneak in the house and bump it. I didn't know for 4 hours, 104'. The dimmer switch is cheaper but if you plan to hatch more than once or twice, you'll want something better. Also if you have kids, they will bump it, touch it, turn it, 'fix' it. The digital will stop most of that. All you have to do is read back a few months and see the number of people that lost all of their eggs because their kids messed with the temp. Everyone of them were positve their kids wouldn't. It's too tempting. Also, cats, dogs, husbands, relatives... the stories are amazing of the people that were helping that killed all of the eggs. I'm not sure if you know about drafts, any kind, window, door, ac/heat vent, can mess with the temp and humidity. I thought I had mine protected but the ac vent had jet stream going under my furniture. It's crazy the problems that come up. But worth it.

 

[ShayBaby]

To any who have done a foam cooler bator with light bulb heat source, what wattage bulb did you use? Did you use a dimmer? I think I need to install a dimmer. At 60 watts for a dry hatch my temp runs WAY too high, and even doing a NOT dry hatch a had a couple nearly fatal temp spikes last time. With a 40 watt bulb I just can't seem to get my temp high enough. I haven't seen a 50 watt anywhere. I'm thinking the way to go may be a 60 watt on a dimmer switch. Those who have tried this, how hard to install is it?? Something I could do myself or do I have to WAIT on hubby to get around to it?? I'm pretty handy, so if it's not TOO hard I can probably handle it.

I bought a 3-way bulb from Walmart (for the touch lamps or whatnot). Can't remember the range on it, but it works like a charm. But, I started using just the lightbulb and a lightswitch dimmer knob, no thermostat. I lost every egg that I set (20 or more) except 2 EE miracles (One aptly named "Miracle"). The temps in there would swing from 80-112 in a single day. How those 2 made it I'll never know. So, next time around I ordered a bimetal (I think that's what they're called?) thermostat online and had DH hook it up, as he's more electric-savvy than I am. Now, I rarely have to worry about temp at all. If it varies any, it may occasionally sneak up or down a degree, but that's fine by me in comparison to 30 degrees! Only thing I need to master now is humidity. It's still all over the place.

These pics were before the addition of the thermostat and computer fan. Really need to take updated pics..:

Baby shots in the bator:

This is the thermostat I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004XNMIN2

ETA: Just took some pics. Pardon the mess around the bator. And the mess inside. I haven't cleaned it yet since the last one hatched a couple days ago.
Thermostat knob:

Messy messy. The bowls are my attempts at controlling humidity. Comp fan in one corner-ish. Thermostat near lightbulb; you can hardly see it here as it's small.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Ok. SOunds good. I'm working on stabilizing now. Just tested my hygrometers and they matched, so now just to figure out why they don't match in the bator?? LOL CHanged to a 40 W bulb because with the humidity lower (no water) my temps went sky high! Like 120 almost! I had a couple spikes last time, wwhich went along with bator drying out. Think I'm finally making sense of it all. THe only issue now is that bator is running about 100. I need it a little hotter, especially since it's empty at that temp.


I think I will try this. Not crazy about wearing poop. LOL

Your plan sounds good! I think that I read to use a 25w bulb, for a homemade foam incubator, but I actually looked for those in the store last time and they didn't have any, 40w was the lowest. Maybe on Amazon they would have 25w? Maybe that is to do with still vs forced air?

Edit: oops just saw your post about the dimmer switch, great idea!!!


Quote: it just sucks cause everyone's setup is different! maybe your foam incubator is larger, so it needs the 40w compared to the person who built one using 25w.

 

[Heidisgran]

okay Miss cutie Jen...eggs are on the way...15 total
here a picture of the babies I hatched from my homegrowns about 3 weeks ago...still in the hatcher drying!!
needless to say please keep me informed how they look when they arrive.....and development as you go!!
HAPPY HATCHING my friend

 

[Varglet]

One internal pip this morning, two working on it.

 

[MrsJenSmith2007]

I used a wall light switch dimmer but switched to this, http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-Microc...674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e79fb6222 It turns the light on and off when needed. The wall dimmer works but you have to adjust it and if you bump it... I had a chicken sneak in the house and bump it. I didn't know for 4 hours, 104'. The dimmer switch is cheaper but if you plan to hatch more than once or twice, you'll want something better. Also if you have kids, they will bump it, touch it, turn it, 'fix' it. The digital will stop most of that. All you have to do is read back a few months and see the number of people that lost all of their eggs because their kids messed with the temp. Everyone of them were positve their kids wouldn't. It's too tempting. Also, cats, dogs, husbands, relatives... the stories are amazing of the people that were helping that killed all of the eggs. I'm not sure if you know about drafts, any kind, window, door, ac/heat vent, can mess with the temp and humidity. I thought I had mine protected but the ac vent had jet stream going under my furniture. It's crazy the problems that come up. But worth it.

So how does that work? It kicks the light on and off as needed to maintain temp? Thinking of ordering one. Wonder if there's a place locally I can find one. I have also heard of using hot water-heater thermostats. Coincidentally, my hot water tank started leaking and is being replaced today. There is nothing wrong with the heater. I could probably use that? Just pretty clueless on the wiring part of that.