SET EGGS JUNE 23 ANYONE WITH ME?

[Stephanie739]

What is the best way to clean the incubator in between hatches? They make an incubator smell bad after they hatch.

I have 2 that are on lockdown. But I think only 1 will make it. But after that I need to clean that thing really well.

I'm only on my 2nd hatch with an incubator (homemade from a styrofoam cooler)

I used a bleach/water solution, just wiped everything down with cloth, and rinsed. It didn't get too messy because I had lined the bottom with paper towels, coffee filters, and I even had some paper plates in it!

 

[Roxannemc]

So I broke down and ordered another dozen hatching eggs. They should be here sometime before the end of the week. Hopefully I get a better hatch rate out of this bunch! I'm going to continue to run the incubator to get the temps stable for when they get here!!!


4 Frizzle Standard Cochins
1 Lavender Orpingtion
2 Easter Egger
1 Lavender Ameruacana
4 Milie Fleur D'uccle

Hey WRVgirl How many chicks did you end up with?
Come over to the July 15-22nd setting thread too if you are. setting this week. I went crazy and ordered 46 eggs!! About 5 breeds Yeah and another incubator too... Bah on the evil Bad Hatch God!!

I spit in his face!!!

 

[Connies Chicks]

I'm only on my 2nd hatch with an incubator (homemade from a styrofoam cooler)

I used a bleach/water solution, just wiped everything down with cloth, and rinsed. It didn't get too messy because I had lined the bottom with paper towels, coffee filters, and I even had some paper plates in it!

I used cheese cloth like I had read about somewhere and it did not go well.

 

[tatiana916]

So sad to hear of everyones incubator problems. I just can't understand how a chicken can sit on her eggs and have them hatch successfully yet we have every instrument we can find measuring exact humidity and temp yet we hatch nothing!?! Hats off to them!

I put mine under my broody and after A LOT of cuts on my hand I've finally got 4/8 which for my first time I'm pretty pleased about.
I was thinking of getting an incubator for next time as it seemed a lot easier. She's such an aggressive broody and she stepped on one chick but after two days in my makeshift incubator iv put her back under mum. But despite all the drama might stick to the broody and save myself some money while I'm at it.

 

[WRVgirl]

Hey WRVgirl  How many chicks did you end up with?
Come over to the July 15-22nd   setting thread  too if you are. setting this week. I went crazy and ordered 46 eggs!!  About 5 breeds Yeah and another incubator too... Bah on the evil  Bad Hatch God!!  I spit in his face!!!

I ended up with 8 chicks...36% hatch rate which made me mad because I know it was due to the incubator fluctuations after lock down. The 8 I hatched out are gorgeous! I ended up with the most gorgeous porcelain (girl, girl, girl, please be a girl!)

Everyone has nice vaults and beards...they're gonna be pretty! My friend took 2 home do I'm down to 6, which is perfect.

I'll come find the thread when I'm at my home computer...I expect to be setting the eggs before Friday.

 

[ChickSter99]

We own a builders supply and my husband sells this citrus cleaner. I'll ask him the name and post it later. Anyway, I clean my bators with that. I don't scrub them. I spray them generously and rub my hands around in it to clean. I spray the styrofoam first and let it sit while I spray and clean the other parts. Then, rinse. It says it's natural. There's no harsh smell. My husband swears by it when he cleans the 'fish coolers'. I have to say I was worried about the egg smell. I borrowed an incubator from a friend before mine came in and I thought I was going to toss my cookies when I opened the lid. Those things cost too much to smell so bad. I use mine in my house and didn't want to smell that in my house. My friend got his bator back really fast (his was so old that even this citrus cleaner wouldn't help).

 

[WRVgirl]

We own a builders supply and my husband sells this citrus cleaner. I'll ask him the name and post it later. Anyway, I clean my bators with that. I don't scrub them. I spray them generously and rub my hands around in it to clean. I spray the styrofoam first and let it sit while I spray and clean the other parts. Then, rinse. It says it's natural. There's no harsh smell. My husband swears by it when he cleans the 'fish coolers'. I have to say I was worried about the egg smell. I borrowed an incubator from a friend before mine came in and I thought I was going to toss my cookies when I opened the lid. Those things cost too much to smell so bad. I use mine in my house and didn't want to smell that in my house. My friend got his bator back really fast (his was so old that even this citrus cleaner wouldn't help).

*gag* *gag* *gag*

Mine S.T.A.N.K. when I cleaned it this morning [I'm actually dry heaving a little bit just typing that.]

I actually used a bleach/water mix and then sprayed everything with the Oxine cleaner and let it set in the sun to dry [since Oxine dries to table salt, there's no need to rinse it ]

I'm getting ready to set it up again for this next hatch, I hope that that double cleaning took care of the smell! Yuck.

 

[ChickSter99]

*gag* *gag* *gag*

Mine S.T.A.N.K. when I cleaned it this morning [I'm actually dry heaving a little bit just typing that.]

I actually used a bleach/water mix and then sprayed everything with the Oxine cleaner and let it set in the sun to dry [since Oxine dries to table salt, there's no need to rinse it ]

I'm getting ready to set it up again for this next hatch, I hope that that double cleaning took care of the smell! Yuck.

Mine smelled alittle. Not too bad. But now, Thankfully, it doesn't smell. I plugged it back up. I'm also getting ready to lockdown on the 22nd. This batch will be 4 Turkens (I love them!), 2 EE, 4 BBS Orpingtons, 2 AmeriOrps (Project), Some more surprise bantams. I just candled and everything looks wonderful.

 

[ChickSter99]

Quote: Ok. It's called Citrus Degreaser. lol. Anyway, it works. It doesn't do to well at getting stains out, but it works wonders with smells. I can deal with stains as long as it doesn't stink!

 

[yo burrill]

This time I had issues with a drop in temp with my bator.. Last hatch it was a spike at the end of week two. I dont understand how it can run for two weeks perfect and then get so out of whack. I am putting in a heat sink the next time to see if that helps and moving it to a closet. Mine is a Coleman cooler so I dont have the stink issue. I put an old towel in the bottom for hatch then just wash it out after they go to the brooder. You guys could try lining your styrofoam bators with contact paper so the the stink doesnt seep into the styrofoam???