Questions on Brower Top Hatch Bator

[wegotchickens]

My favorite part was being able to scrub the dickens out of it after the hatch! After getting a styrofoam LG, I can really appreciate how much more sanitary my Brower is...

But if you find you don't like your Brower, I'll be happy to give it a good home!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Mine started hatching at 5 P.M. today, and so far three are out now. I'm going to bed shortly; hope I have several more in the morning. I'm not going to open the lid until 5 A.M. Friday, i.e., they'll have 36 hours to finish hatching. Miss Prissy told me to do that.

HINTS (useful tools)
1.) I had to add water, but the last three days you stop the turner, and you aren't supposed to remove the lid; however, you can twist it, so I attached/taped a straw to the bottom of a small funnel and stuck the straw down through the holes in the top. Pouring from a measuring cup into the funnel/straw worked great for placing a cup of body-temperature, distilled water where it belonged.

2.) I had to roll eight eggs off the center (large end up) because I had placed them there and realized they were stopping the air flow that was coming up. So I used a long chopstick to move them.

3.) Put a small dot of nail polish or whiteout or (?) on the temperature controller knob; with it there, you can see when you have made one complete revolution (= 1 1/2 degrees).

4.) Have a small box to hold a small screw driver for temperature control knob, an extra supply of light bulbs, extra fuse, extra Brower thermometer, extra ball bearings, your homemade funnel/straw, chopstick, etc. Order the extras from Brower.

 

[newbiecaroline]

Congrats!!! good job joe....guess that brower works just dandy then

Did you mention what your hatching?

 

[newbiecaroline]

Wegotchickens - what are the red dots on your brower?
Do you have more pics? curious now I ordered one...sorry.

 

[Josie]

The red dots are plugs for the air holes. You can take them out completely to open it up or plug them for humidity.

If you are interested, you can look at the brower TH120 manual on PDF
click on this Top-Hatch Incubator
Its the same one that comes with it.

 

[joebryant]

Here I have summarized the instructions that come with the newest model of Brower, the THI20.
*****************************

Incubating Eggs in a Brower TH120 Incubator

1. Sanitize the incubator
2. Sanitize the eggs before putting in the incubator - Use one ounce of Clorox to two gallons of water. The water should be 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The egg must be cooler than the solution; otherwise contamination can be pulled through the pores of the egg before the agent has a chance to neutralize any pathogens. Submerge the egg for one to three minutes. Allow the egg to air dry; do NOT rub the egg; eggs have a natural cuticle that helps retard contamination. Rubbing removes the cuticle and can actually drive pathogens through the shell.

3. Always start your incubator 3-5 days in advance of setting eggs to make sure that the temperature is stabilized and the machine is running correctly.

4. Adjust the temperature to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain this temperature during the entire incubation. It’s better to under-heat than overheat.

5. When you are satisfied with the temperature, add about one cup of very warm DISTILLED water to the tray. Pour the water into the groove around the perimeter of the tray and about halfway under the eggs. DO NOT FILL WITH SO MUCH WATER THAT WATER FLOWS INTO THE CENTER TOWER OR CONTROLS. Check and fill water twice a week or as needed. NEVER LET THE WATER RESERVOIR RUN OUT.

6. Add eggs warmed to room temperature, filling one pie section at a time with 4-5 eggs, depending on size. Do not crowd. You do not need to change the temperature of your control; it will adjust automatically according to conditions.

7. THREE DAYS AFTER SETTING THE EGGS, REMOVE ONE VENT PLUG.

8. STOP TURNING THE EGGS THREE DAYS BEFORE THEY ARE DUE TO HATCH. Do this by lifting the tray slightly and rotating the tray so that the motor crank cannot engage the lug/slot on the bottom of the tray. This will prevent turning, but the rack can remain in place.

9. During the last three days of hatch, if water drops form on the cover, remove one vent plug. As chicks emerge, remove one additional plug. If water continues to form, remove additional plugs. Be sure to replace plugs for the next setting of eggs.

10. All chicks that are going to hatch should be out of their shells by the twenty-first to twenty-second day. Chicks can be removed from the incubator when they are completely dry. They may be left in the incubator for up to 24 hours or so. Remove chicks from the incubator just once a day to avoid escape of warm and moist air; however, remember that it is generally best to take the chicks out of the incubator as soon as they are dry. Huh? Avoid chilling wet chicks.

11. Feed and water the chicks as soon as they are removed from the incubator.

 

[joebryant]

INCUBATING EGGS - SCHDULE FOR BROWER THI20

DATE/DAY day NOTES MISC.

01 Put eggs in the incubator 1 1/2 cups water

02

03 Remove one vent plug 1 cup water

04

05 1 cup water

06

07 1 cup water

08

09 1 cup water

10

11 1 cup water

12

13 1 cup water

14

15 1 cup water

16

17 1 cup water

18

19 Stop turning the eggs If water drops on cover, remove a plug 1 cup water

20 If water continues to form on cover, remove plug(s)

21 Remove a plug when first chick hatches 1 cup water

 

[joebryant]

I first put my eggs in at 4:00 P.M. on April 24.
21 days and one hour later, on May 14, my first one hatched at 5:00 P.M.
At 5:00 A.M., May 15, after twelve hours, eight have hatched, including the two that I resisted helping with a cesarean section.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Congratulations on the hatch!

Thank you for the tips.

 

[joebryant]

I have five dark blue, five blue, and five splash Orpington babies.