November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[MrsJenSmith2007]

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

Yaaay!!! I'm so excited!! I will keep you informed. In fact, you know I will be asking a hundred questions along the way!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

 

[MrsJenSmith2007]

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!!!


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.

I'm thinking that must be the issue. I bought a 60, 40 and 25 when I built it so I could experiment. The 25 never got above 80. The 40 never got above 99. The 60 sat nicely about 102 IF the humidity stayed up. Otherwise, temp would quickly shoot up to 108! So I'm thinking 60 watt dimmed just slightly should do that job. Because I'm dry hatching, so I'm guessing temp will tend to run a little higher based on what my bator has done so far. I'm also keep ALL vent holes open this time, which I have not tried yet. Glad I have a couple days to experiment! Can't wait to install my dimmer tonight!

 

[MrsJenSmith2007]

So I took the old hot water thermostat off and set it aside. I was going to install it, but I think it might be useless because it doesn't even have temperatures on it. Instead it says hot, hotter, hottest...

 

[Heidisgran]

my heart just started pumping hard!! I just realized my araucana's are due next friday

 

[Farmer Viola]

So I took the old hot water thermostat off and set it aside. I was going to install it, but I think it might be useless because it doesn't even have temperatures on it. Instead it says hot, hotter, hottest...

yeah.. I saw that kind for sale too, but not the kind I wanted, with the actual temperature dial on it
here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/Rheem-SP11695...&sr=1-15&keywords=hot+water+heater+thermostat

 

[mordred25]

Just found this thread but have just had my first hatch in my homemade incubator. First one was 18 hours early on day 20 before the next one then the bulk of them around 30 hours from the first. Many mods done with my incubator and even had a power failure in the last week requiring moving to and from a power source 30 mins away. The last chick got stuck and needed assistance after 24 hours and he has come out ok. Even after all of this still had a hatch of 8 out of 11 locked down, but one was cracked and may have died before then.

One of my learnings was the difference in humidity caused by running a fan. I ended up setting the fan to come on when the globes and heater cycled off, other wise I was running 40% humidity no mater how many sponges water trays and even air stones in the water I ran. I also had a heater under the tray of water in the bottom. Might not do it that way next time.

The thermostat was a 12 v kit from the local electronics store Jaycar and modded to switch a 240 volt load through a solid state relay. Variable hysteresis (you can set how much difference in temp to switch on and off) set to the lowest setting and kept the temp within a few points of a degree.

I used just a couple of drawers on top of each other and put a bit of Perspex with a notch in it on the top. A frame made out of conduit and fittings held a egg carton base with the bottom cut out of each egg compartment and rocked back wards and forwards through holes in each end of the drawer.

We have fairly stable weather in spring here in Tasmania so don't have the snow or high humidity heat that a lot of you have.

Anyway that is my story, and glad to have been part of your hatch along.

Adrian

 

[Heidisgran]

Just found this thread but have just had my first hatch in my homemade incubator. First one was 18 hours early on day 20 before the next one then the bulk of them around 30 hours from the first. Many mods done with my incubator and even had a power failure in the last week requiring moving to and from a power source 30 mins away. The last chick got stuck and needed assistance after 24 hours and he has come out ok. Even after all of this still had a hatch of 8 out of 11 locked down, but one was cracked and may have died before then.

One of my learnings was the difference in humidity caused by running a fan. I ended up setting the fan to come on when the globes and heater cycled off, other wise I was running 40% humidity no mater how many sponges water trays and even air stones in the water I ran. I also had a heater under the tray of water in the bottom. Might not do it that way next time.

The thermostat was a 12 v kit from the local electronics store Jaycar and modded to switch a 240 volt load through a solid state relay. Variable hysteresis (you can set how much difference in temp to switch on and off) set to the lowest setting and kept the temp within a few points of a degree.

I used just a couple of drawers on top of each other and put a bit of Perspex with a notch in it on the top. A frame made out of conduit and fittings held a egg carton base with the bottom cut out of each egg compartment and rocked back wards and forwards through holes in each end of the drawer.

We have fairly stable weather in spring here in Tasmania so don't have the snow or high humidity heat that a lot of you have.

Anyway that is my story, and glad to have been part of your hatch along.

Adrian

are you incubating now?
congrats on your recent hatch
welcome!

 

[DeannaA]

Just found this thread but have just had my first hatch in my homemade incubator. First one was 18 hours early on day 20 before the next one then the bulk of them around 30 hours from the first. Many mods done with my incubator and even had a power failure in the last week requiring moving to and from a power source 30 mins away. The last chick got stuck and needed assistance after 24 hours and he has come out ok. Even after all of this still had a hatch of 8 out of 11 locked down, but one was cracked and may have died before then.

One of my learnings was the difference in humidity caused by running a fan. I ended up setting the fan to come on when the globes and heater cycled off, other wise I was running 40% humidity no mater how many sponges water trays and even air stones in the water I ran. I also had a heater under the tray of water in the bottom. Might not do it that way next time.

The thermostat was a 12 v kit from the local electronics store Jaycar and modded to switch a 240 volt load through a solid state relay. Variable hysteresis (you can set how much difference in temp to switch on and off) set to the lowest setting and kept the temp within a few points of a degree.

I used just a couple of drawers on top of each other and put a bit of Perspex with a notch in it on the top. A frame made out of conduit and fittings held a egg carton base with the bottom cut out of each egg compartment and rocked back wards and forwards through holes in each end of the drawer.

We have fairly stable weather in spring here in Tasmania so don't have the snow or high humidity heat that a lot of you have.

Anyway that is my story, and glad to have been part of your hatch along.

Adrian

What did you hatch and do you have pictures?

 

[mordred25]

The hatches were from a mixed breed set of hens, but the father is a beautiful barvelder rooster, and most of them show their heritage. That will be all the incubating for the moment. These ones will keep me going.

 

[dutchbunny83]

I'm about 100 pages behind so I'm going to give up on catching up and just start over!!!

Hope everyone has been doing good! After what happened with my last hatch losing almost $200 in eggs I swore of incubating, but caught the bug and loaded it back up!

I have a few black copper marans and olive eggers on lockdown right now.

I also just ordered a copious amount of coturnix quail eggs! They seem to only be sold in mass quantities. Anyone hatch them before??? Should be here Wednesday