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

[subhanalah]

The hard part is getting the intake off...it was a bugger!

 

[Beekissed]

Moving into Day 5 of the #3 nest's incubation. The water wiggler is great! Much more even temperature monitoring than the water balloons. The pad is on #3, the internal temp in the wiggler is 99.0, surface temps of the nest are 107.1 and the eggs were turned several times today. I have high hopes for this nest as I have been able to control the temps well so far and am finally incubating at the correct internal egg temps.

I find it amazing that one poster informed me that a broody's body temp was measured at 107.0....and that is the exact temp of this pad that is creating an internal egg temp of around 99.0-100.0 for these eggs. Amazing that I can mimic that with this setup and it worked out perfectly! This nest is holding humidity well, I am no longer misting the nest and soil with water very much....now I just pour some water~no misting~ directly into the soil around the nest and it seems to keep the humidity pretty well. Not every day but it seems to need it every other day or so. Measured it once this week for a humidity of 45%, if the sensor is accurate. So the soil is my sponge.

A word to the wise...if using feathers on a similar experiment/incubation, place them in a net bag and then place them between the eggs and the heating pad...if not you will find feathers all over your house! I try to keep them in the box but it's nigh impossible...they are so very fluffy and fly away!

Keep praying for my hatch, folks! I really need it!

 

[subhanalah]

[...]
A word to the wise...if using feathers on a similar experiment/incubation, place them in a net bag and then place them between the eggs and the heating pad...if not you will find feathers all over your house!  I try to keep them in the box but it's nigh impossible...they are so very fluffy and fly away! 

Keep praying for my hatch, folks!  I really need it! 

Makes the whole thread worth it.

 

[Beekissed]

 

[ocap]

best I can tell after trouble shooting my management, I had a temperature of 99.1 and had some chicks hatch on day 23.

 

[Tomtommom]

Makes the whole thread worth it.

I find feathers all over the house anyway. I don't even know HOW. I find them under my bed.... and my girls don't come indoors unless they're sick or hurt.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Bee where did you buy your wiggle?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Bee, I am getting ready to start a similar experiment but with a heat lamp instead of a heat pad. I happen to keep reptiles, and know other people who do as well, so heat lamps are very reliable to get and multi-purpose around here. I will be building a nest similar to yours and using a heat lamp instead of a heat pad. I may actually do something crazy and instead of feathers (which I don't have) line the nest with dog fur. I own two northern breed dogs and at my parents house, every spring they would shed their old coat and I'd take them out once a week to brush all that fur off. My mom feeds the birds and so they were quite bold. They would fly in within a few feet of the dog, snatch up all the fur that dropped, and carry it off to build their nests! I figure if it's good enough for wild birds... Maybe it should be good enough for me. :3

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Bee, I am getting ready to start a similar experiment but with a heat lamp instead of a heat pad. I happen to keep reptiles, and know other people who do as well, so heat lamps are very reliable to get and multi-purpose around here. I will be building a nest similar to yours and using a heat lamp instead of a heat pad. I may actually do something crazy and instead of feathers (which I don't have) line the nest with dog fur. I own two northern breed dogs and at my parents house, every spring they would shed their old coat and I'd take them out once a week to brush all that fur off. My mom feeds the birds and so they were quite bold. They would fly in within a few feet of the dog, snatch up all the fur that dropped, and carry it off to build their nests! I figure if it's good enough for wild birds... Maybe it should be good enough for me. :3

Good luck and keep us updated. The dog hair may work. It keeps dogs warm right?

And Bee that's why I left my boa intact.

 

[subhanalah]

Good luck and keep us updated. The dog hair may work. It keeps dogs warm right?


And Bee that's why I left my boa intact.

I have rabbits, and the mothers pull fur to line the nest box and it keeps the kits Very warm!