Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[aussie pete]

well all this talk about skin temp, air temp, internal temp ,has me confused - so went back and read whole thread from start
my understanding is eggs require 100 f
fan forced incubators run at 99.5 f
still air incubators 102-103 f

from what i have read in still air ,temp reading at egg surface of 101.5 gives the best hatch

if this is correct, temps have been too low from the start

this being said, i think Jules that yr last reading from the water wigglers r correct .going forward if that requires surface temps of 107 f , then i would keep it at that.

cheers Pete

 

[theawesomechick]

Suddenly thought of something for your "natural" brooder Beekissed. Instead of adjusting your chicks to the cold by raising the "broody" heat pad like most people do with Ecoglows and heat lamps, would it be more natural if you gradually started turning off the heat pad for short periods of time, representing the broody beginning to distance herself from her chicks? Your average hen doesn't start standing higher over her chicks to get them used to the cold.

 

[Beekissed]

Suddenly thought of something for your "natural" brooder Beekissed. Instead of adjusting your chicks to the cold by raising the "broody" heat pad like most people do with Ecoglows and heat lamps, would it be more natural if you gradually started turning off the heat pad for short periods of time, representing the broody beginning to distance herself from her chicks? Your average hen doesn't start standing higher over her chicks to get them used to the cold.

Well...she sort of does. She just doesn't squat as frequently and as low as when they were young because they are moving and grooving for food, but she does still warm them when they cluster under her and she will squat and spread her wings just a bit...not as diligently and usually at nighttime and a few times in the day. If you turned it off completely they would have no warm place at all to return to and would just huddle together for warmth, which may or may not be sufficient in coop temps..which is where mine will be. In a house setting, that might work though.

If you raise it, they can either stand under it for radiant warmth or even climb on top, which is where you will often find older chicks. Eventually a person could have it standing high but on a lower heat that would represent a hen that is standing and no longer "broody" temps and then watch to see how often they actually use that source. I'm betting they would only sleep there for the comfort of it all.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, set up the second nest today with 14 eggs and the nest is currently coming up to temps. I'm thinking if I can keep the internal (egg) temps at around 99.0 I may strike a happy medium between this surface temp vs. egg temp? What do you guys think?

Once the nest is up to the proper heat, I'll take readings on surface and inside the water tube and see what's going on. This is all uncharted territory, so this should be interesting.

I'll try to finish video on that tomorrow and how it was done and see about getting it posted to YT, if possible.

 

[aart]

I read in the Hatching 101 article that the temp in the water wiggler should be 99.5...maybe you already found that out and I missed it...just remember it was being discussed.

 

[Beekissed]

I read in the Hatching 101 article that the temp in the water wiggler should be 99.5...maybe you already found that out and I missed it...just remember it was being discussed.

No, I hadn't found that out but might have heard something in all the tons of reading I've done...it's hard to absorb it all, really. I turned down the older nest to reflect that and will try to keep the temps at the 99.5. So far they have been at 100.5, so not sure if a degree makes a difference but this is a fly by the seat of the pants kind of experiment.

 

[ronott1]

No, I hadn't found that out but might have heard something in all the tons of reading I've done...it's hard to absorb it all, really. I turned down the older nest to reflect that and will try to keep the temps at the 99.5. So far they have been at 100.5, so not sure if a degree makes a difference but this is a fly by the seat of the pants kind of experiment.

98.5 to 100.5 are good incubation temps.

A lot actually like incubating at 100. (That would be me).

 

[aart]

No, I hadn't found that out but might have heard something in all the tons of reading I've done...it's hard to absorb it all, really. I turned down the older nest to reflect that and will try to keep the temps at the 99.5. So far they have been at 100.5, so not sure if a degree makes a difference but this is a fly by the seat of the pants kind of experiment.

Well it would be interesting to have 2 tested thermometers - one in the wiggler one at the eggs surface, and see what the surface temp is when the wiggler temp is 99.5.

 

[Beekissed]

Well it would be interesting to have 2 tested thermometers - one in the wiggler one at the eggs surface, and see what the surface temp is when the wiggler temp is 99.5.

I'll be doing that. I have a digital thermometer and a regular one.

 

[theawesomechick]

Well...she sort of does. She just doesn't squat as frequently and as low as when they were young because they are moving and grooving for food, but she does still warm them when they cluster under her and she will squat and spread her wings just a bit...not as diligently and usually at nighttime and a few times in the day. If you turned it off completely they would have no warm place at all to return to and would just huddle together for warmth, which may or may not be sufficient in coop temps..which is where mine will be. In a house setting, that might work though.

If you raise it, they can either stand under it for radiant warmth or even climb on top, which is where you will often find older chicks. Eventually a person could have it standing high but on a lower heat that would represent a hen that is standing and no longer "broody" temps and then watch to see how often they actually use that source. I'm betting they would only sleep there for the comfort of it all.

Well, I guess ya learn something new every day!