Potato Box Incubator

[speckledhen]

I'd say water wiggler is a more true designator(wrong word, but the right one wont come to me, LOL) of temps in the eggs. Air temps can go below or above for brief periods without changing the egg temps significantly. You just dont want them to stay high or low for any real period. Your humidity is perfect.

 

[MissPrissy]

I am a nervous wreck today! The eggs are going in at noon!

 

[speckledhen]

LOL, okay chicken-mom, calm down! They are not the only ones you can ever get, so just do the best you can and if you dont have a great hatch, then we'll just have to get you some more to try.

 

[MissPrissy]

The 11 Americauna eggs have been set in the potato box 'bator.

I am very pleased so far with this bator. The temps are steady and holding. The probe temp is holding at 99.9 and the humidity is around 40% and holding.

I am using a 100 watt bulb in this box as it heats from the bottom.

Wish me luck on a good hatch.

Thanks, Cyn, for the eggs!

 

[MissPrissy]

The temperature this morning is at 100.8 in the water wiggler.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Prissy, Cyn, or anyone else... what is the difference in the wattage of the light bulb that you put in the bator. Prissy, you said something about putting in a higher wattage because you raised the eggs.

If I do my bator in a rubbermaid cooler what wattage will I want to use? Also what is the difference of putting the bulb at the bottom of the cooler vs the top of the cooler?

The reason I am asking is because I have seen the wattage everywhere from 25 to 100 watts. What is the better wattage to use?

Thanks.........Tes

 

[MissPrissy]

I started with a 25 watt. It couldn't get the bread box up to temp after 8 hours. I switched to a 40 watt. Seems fine.

The potato box I started with a 40 and couldn't maintain a temp. So I changed to a 60. Same problem. The 100 watt holds the temp BUT with heat rising from the bottom the eggs were too warm and the air temp was perfect so I raised the platform so that the eggs float a little higher and good temp maintained.

Always start with the smallest watt bulb and change up if needed.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Thanks Prissy for the info!!! Appreciate it very much!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Getting the right wattage bulb for the type and size space you have can be difficult. We're experimenting with some different scenarios in the fridge-a-bator, trying to get it completely right before I have to move my eggs to the hatcher. If we can't get it to DH's satisfaction, I'm betting he'll rip everything out an put it back in the wooden MegaBator, LOL.
Priss, I sure hope you have a fantastic hatch with these eggs. The Ameraucanas have excellent fertility-never saw a clear when I incubated here at home. In fact, I think if I ever lost my Hawkeye, I might make Scout the flock rooster. I really like that boy; well, I love my Suede, but he's way too big for most of my hens.
As far as the wiggler temp, I dont worry if its between 99 and 100, even 100.2 or so, but it tends to build up heat in the weasel/wiggler sometimes in a bator using a lightbulb as the heat source, I've found, and it holds onto it, too, just like an egg would. It's quite a balancing act. I hope one of these days, I'll just be able to get a heating element like one in a regular bator to go in our homemade ones.

 

[MissPrissy]

The last turn of the evening. I am very happy with the performance of this incubator so far. I know it is just day one of the hatch but I was just checking temps and the bator is holding temps at:

99.7 internal probe temp
102 external air temp