The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Stuck in the Coop]

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I have a FI incubator. The built in thermometer is WAY off. I have seen repeated posts of the same complaint. Don't trust it. I only use inside thermometers and have good luck.

I should clarify, I use a store bought thermometer/hygrometer from Walmart, not the flimsy one that came with it.

 

[chickiebaby1]

SO far I have set
10 White leg horn
4 Silver Laced wyandott
15 black sex links
33 barn yard mixes
6 silkie
2 LF cochin
4 bantam cochin
6 from my fun pens
Total = 80
I might set more if I get some today.
I think I have like 6 open spots left

I also candled my test batch I set last week and it looks like more than half are doing great. The others were almost to dark to tell. will wait till day 14 to chuck any. I was so happy though because my silkies were defiantly fertile.

 

[minihorse927]

24 eggs set for this year's hatchalong!

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Oooh, Joyful, I'm happy to hear you got your thermostat wired up OK. I have a slightly different version of this thermostat wired into my Hovabator; the temperature differential on the WH7016 is 1* and the Hbator NEVER goes above 100*. It often drops lower than 99* and it takes a bit of time to get back up to 100*, so I think my hatches in it ran on the low side. I've thought about setting it a little higher, as you have done, and I've thought about replacing the little 25 watt heating element with a quicker responding heat source (?light bulb), but the Bator box is so shallow it's hard to do safely. Sooo, I'm using it as is for the time being. 103 is kind of high. When I put my eggs in, the temperature drops a couple of degrees for awhile, and then it stabilizes between 99 and 100. If you think your temps are too high, you can try placing the sensor up closer to the heat source, so it gets up to temp faster and shuts off earlier. I, too, have an independent temperature sensor probe that actually hardly ever agrees with my thermostat probe, but ALL (I have several) of my digital thermostat sensors agree within a few 1/10's of a degree of each other. Your LG is a circulated air Bator, yes? I tried testing the temps in different locations in my HB, and I was actually surprised at how consistent they were. Your dilemma makes me want to test them again. What do you think of putting your probe inside a "gelatin" filled plastic egg? GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR HATCH.

Thank you coop410silkies! I think you helped me out - I moved the sensor from the digital controller over close to the heating element, and so far the temperature variations have been MUCH more reasonable!

I think that was my problem - the sensor was too far away from the heat source, and so it took too long to register the changing temperatures. Now I feel much better as I am watching the thermometer. And yes, it is a circulated air LG. I actually have my thermometer probe tied to several threads that go out each corner of the LG, so I can pull the probe to different corners to test the temperature without opening the incubator! I have never tried the filled egg or water weasel that others have, but it might be something to try to get a better idea of the egg temperatures... Thanks again for your help!

 

[Tropic Rooster]

how did you remove your racks?!

This is a turner from an old hovabator. the racks are slightly flexible so you can bend slowlu and squeeze the ends out on one of the sides you have every other hole is open on top. There is a strip that sits on the side rail to hold them in. Its pretty easy.

good luck with your hatch!

 

[bantambury]

This is a turner from an old hovabator. the racks are slightly flexible so you can bend slowlu and squeeze the ends out on one of the sides you have every other hole is open on top. There is a strip that sits on the side rail to hold them in. Its pretty easy.

good luck with your hatch!

poo, ive been trying that with my farmers innovator rack for 30 minutes now. LOL

 

[eggorthechicken]

Are we supposed to post the # of eggs we set now??

 

[PrairieChickens]

Just 15 minutes before I put my eggs in the 'bator!


I could have set aside a LOT more to hatch, but I just hatched out about 60 chicks a few weeks ago, and thought it best to limit myself. Most of these eggs are eggs I found stashed somewhere, and for that reason can't sell like I normally would. A lot of white eggs from my leghorn, campine, and lakenvelder, with a few EE, one Ameraucana, a black copper marans, and two mystery browns.

All of the chicks will be mutts.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi everyone

Have just set 21 eggs for the hatch a long
19 polish and 2 mixed eggs. Amber x polish roo.

Happy hatching to all

 

[Mama Bay]

Well they're all in! The dirty one on the bottom left is really bothering me

most of what I read said to leave it alone though...