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

[CherMoz]

My incubator is built like a tank. The most she can do is block my viewing window. My first incubator was, however, a favorite of our ferret. As soon as the eggs got that nice developing egg smell he would try non stop to get in at them. He never succeeded, but I still designed this one to resist anything he could possibly throw at it. The walls are so thick and heavily insulated that no matter what you put on top, once the temperature is stable and adjusted for the average ambient air temperature of the season, it doesn't change aside from the normal +/- 0.7 degrees.

I'd like to hear more about your design.

 

[nate1the1great1]

I Might be interested in some eggs. What colors do you have?

Have a small flock of lavender orpingtons. Hopefully I can get a few eggs to hatch.

Count me in! Gonna probably set serama eggs since that's the only breed I have both and hen and rooster from!

I want to..... You all

 

[draye]

Well I sneaked in another 18 eggs into the incubator. Has them saved up to sell but got no buyers so I put 'em in.

15 Naked Neck and 3 Black Jersey Giant x Green Egger Naked Neck. I'm anxious hi see tge cross if these two. See if the pea comb and green egg will pass on.

 

[Myfourladies]

I Might be interested in some eggs. What colors do you have?

I have a mixed color flock. Partridge and Millie roo over partridge, barred, birchen, millie, splash hens. I have pictures if you want.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I

I'd like to hear more about your design.

I used a large vaccine cooler, because they are really thick and heavy duty. They are also really big, which makes the temperature easier to control than smaller ones. (My first unit used an insulin cooler, which was smaller, and more prone to temperature variations) I have an 8 X 10 glass pane recessed into the lid for viewing. I use a small heat lamp bulb in a spotlight housing for heat, hooked up to a thermostat (the water heater kind) I do circulated air, so I used a small dual computer fan located up at the top of the container so I wasn't blowing air directly on the eggs. In the bottom I have a ceramic heat sink - I have about four 6 X 6 industrial floor tiles taped together in the very bottom. On top of that I have a tray made out of galvanized hardware cloth spanning half the bottom and lined with a terry cloth towel. I have a second piece of hardware cloth dividing the unit into 2 compartments, to make sure no one can get over to the other side when they hatch. On the side without the basket I have a bowl with a sponge which I keep damp to maintain humidity. I have 4 vents at the bottom for air, and 2 on top. During lockdown the bottom vents double as ports for me to inject in more water to adjust the humidity. I also run a digital temperature probe through a bottom port which sits among the eggs for spot temperature measurements. I use a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo to monitor temperature and humidity at a glance. During calibration before each egg run, I set the thermostat about 2" away from the heat lamp housing and adjust it to average 99.5. As the eggs develop and generate heat, I move it closer to the light by 1/4" increments as opposed to changing the setting on the dial, since I can make smaller changes this way. For cat/ferret proofing, I use duct tape. It comes in pretty patterns, and no one can get their claws through it. I covered the entire unit from top to bottom, so they ignore it. Any exposed styrofoam seems to scream "scratch me!!".... I ran the unit non stop from spring until late fall last year, and hatched out pheasants, ducks, and tons of quail in single and staggered mixed batches. I would just bleach between each hatch, re calibrate the temperature, and throw in my next load!

 

[Razadia]

I made a thing if anyone wants to go take a look. It was a good idea, I just don't if I'll ever keep up with it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/flock-keeper-book-lets-make-a-thing

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I made a thing if anyone wants to go take a look. It was a good idea, I just don't if I'll ever keep up with it. 

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/flock-keeper-book-lets-make-a-thing

That's a great idea!!!

 

[Razadia]

I made a thing if anyone wants to go take a look. It was a good idea, I just don't if I'll ever keep up with it. 

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/flock-keeper-book-lets-make-a-thing

That's a great idea!!!

I'm glad you think so! I still need to add some pictures and try to get some stuff written down in mine.

 

[JoyfulPromise]

I made a thing if anyone wants to go take a look. It was a good idea, I just don't if I'll ever keep up with it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/flock-keeper-book-lets-make-a-thing

I like your idea Raz!

I had wanted to do something like that a while ago, because I love details and neatly organized statistics, but because I am good on computers, I thought of making up info sheets for each chicken on a Word document or something, with their basic name/breed/age etc stats and any other observed notes on them. The problem is getting that elusive "round tuit"

... and since we have over 50 hens in our laying flocks with new ones coming in each year as pullets and others leaving either by sale or being sent to freezer camp because of age...the task of keeping an up to date catalog of them all is rather daunting!

I still would like to give it a try some day though...

 

[jgoldy2]

I made a thing if anyone wants to go take a look. It was a good idea, I just don't if I'll ever keep up with it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/flock-keeper-book-lets-make-a-thing

I will make one later however it will also have 4H stuff in it