Styrofoam Incubators Club

[BantyChooks]

Hi I keep hearing peeps from my incubator I think but I'm no sure if it's my imagination or not?

What day?

 

[danielkbrantley]

I don't know if you were told how to already, but you will want to calibrate before your next batch. If it is 99, that is too low for still air when measured at the correct level. If you have already been told how to calibrate I won't re-post the info...... It made me so much more confident to know my thermometers were accurate.



*Note: some cases have been recorded of them being accurate at 32 but off at 102, so use common sense. If you have several calibrated thermos and one reads higher/lower in ambient temp, it is probably wrong. Don't skimp on the thermometers. I have six!*
-Banti

Six thermometers? Wowzers!!! I have some investing to do! And I may need a larger incubator. Hahahaha...

Thanks so much,

Daniel

 

[BantyChooks]

Six thermometers? Wowzers!!! I have some investing to do! And I may need a larger incubator. Hahahaha...

Thanks so much,


Daniel

They cost me less than $2 ea. if I remember correctly. They are just cheap aquarium thermometers at Walmart. Accurate, (if you pick up a handful and get the ones that agree) but not super durable.

 

[danielkbrantley]

They cost me less than $2 ea. if I remember correctly. They are just cheap aquarium thermometers at Walmart. Accurate, (if you pick up a handful and get the ones that agree) but not super durable.

Ah. Good thinking! Will investigate. Thanks again...

 

[AllynTal]

Is thread still alive? I have a Hovabator Genesis 1588 with the IncuTurn egg turner. I'm lining up for my first hatch attempt. I spent the last week fiddling with temp and humidity control and the last three days off and on reading all the posts in this thread. Thank you all for your advice and for sharing your expertise.

...Can I join the Styrofoam Incubators Club?

Just an update on my hatch -- which is still progressing. I put 26 eggs in the incubator on June 23. They started hatching yesterday. Right now, there are 7 eggs that have not yet hatched, though one of the hatchlings may not make it. It's almost dry, but it can't walk. It just keeps kicking and pushing itself around the floor of the incubator. Of the 7 eggs left, a couple are pipped, but so far, no progress. Even if I don't get any more hatched, I consider this a good first try, but fingers crossed for a couple more.

A few of the gang in the temporary brooder. Most of them are up under the heating pad. Once whatever is going to hatch, does and they are dry, I'll take them out to the brooder in the coop.

(The grill is just to keep my dog from trying to be helpful.)

A few hanging out in the incubator waiting to dry:

 

[BlueBaby]

Just an update on my hatch -- which is still progressing. I put 26 eggs in the incubator on June 23. They started hatching yesterday. Right now, there are 7 eggs that have not yet hatched, though one of the hatchlings may not make it. It's almost dry, but it can't walk. It just keeps kicking and pushing itself around the floor of the incubator. Of the 7 eggs left, a couple are pipped, but so far, no progress. Even if I don't get any more hatched, I consider this a good first try, but fingers crossed for a couple more.

A few of the gang in the temporary brooder. Most of them are up under the heating pad. Once whatever is going to hatch, does and they are dry, I'll take them out to the brooder in the coop.

(The grill is just to keep my dog from trying to be helpful.)

A few hanging out in the incubator waiting to dry:

It looks like they are coming along well. How many did you end up with?

 

[AllynTal]

It looks like they are coming along well. How many did you end up with?

One more egg hatched, so a total of 20 out of 26 eggs hatched. I had to cull that one. I think it had wry neck. If it were a pet, I would have nursed it with vitamin E and selenium, but I don't want to nurture something that won't be suitable for breeding. I'll give those last six until tomorrow before I open them to see what happened. For shipped eggs and my first hatch, I feel pretty good about it.

 

[BlueBaby]

One more egg hatched, so a total of 20 out of 26 eggs hatched. I had to cull that one. I think it had wry neck. If it were a pet, I would have nursed it with vitamin E and selenium, but I don't want to nurture something that won't be suitable for breeding. I'll give those last six until tomorrow before I open them to see what happened. For shipped eggs and my first hatch, I feel pretty good about it.

That was a pretty good ratio in you hatching shipped eggs. They are cute. What kind are they?

 

[AllynTal]

That was a pretty good ratio in you hatching shipped eggs. They are cute. What kind are they?

Delawares. I have a flock of Delawares.

 

[BlueBaby]

Delawares. I have a flock of Delawares.

Cool! I just went online to find out more about that breed. It said that both the Delaware and the Delaware x New Hampshire were replaced in the late 1950's by the Cornish x Rock cross (solid white) that has come to dominate the industry. I am glad that some are keeping the Delawares pure.

Australorps are the only ones that I have at this time. I have a Black Australorp Rooster, and a 3 month old Splash Australorp cockerel for my females. I have been thinking about building another pen for a different breed of flock. I like the standard sized ones that lay big eggs, plus are good size for meat.