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

[mlm Mike]

carcar80

Welcome to the 2015 Easter Hatch A Long!

 

[chicken pickin]

A couple of questions for when you get time.

Is the door hard to open with the cooler standing up?
Should I plan on adding a latch of some kind to keep the door tightly closed? I'd probably need a latch to keep the children out but if the door stays closed tightly maybe not.

How did you make the windows? can you see all of the eggs from the windows or would I need to try to make the windows one long window.

How many eggs will fit on a shelf? I hatch upright so maybe think ho many egg cartons will fit on a shelf.
Lastly besides the hardware cloth, what is needed to make the shelves?

The door isnt too hard to open. You definitely need to give it a forceful pull and keep the bator steady with your other hand but other wise it opens quite smoothly. There is also no need for a latch (unless you feel it safer around your little ones). The door latches close very tightly and wont pop open. There is a handle on the side to hold when opening and closes and I found it was not necessary to have, I never use it.
The cooler is also propped up on "legs" so the door isnt touching the ground when it opens and closes it also helps sturdy the cooler better.

For the windows we used a jig saw to cut out the windows (the plexi glass I had on hand was frosted so I can really see the eggs but I like that I can see the light turn on and off so I know its functioning properly. I might change the plexi to a clear type one day but as of now I don't have a need to look at the egg unless the door is open and I am turning eggs. I also only so far have used this as an incubator not hatcher. I move the eggs to my hovabators to hatch. Im sure you could cut a long window for your personal preference.

To make the shelves I just used this scrape metal wire I had lying around and shaped it to fit the length of the bator and tucked it in the shelf indents than lay the hardware cloth over it. Its not how I want to keep and its not perfect it but it works for now. I do plan to make a better frame for each shelf (4 selves in total) and attach the hardware cloth to the frame. I was thinking of making the shelf frames out of very thin strips of wood Im not sure if I would want them to slide in and out or be screwed in to the cooler itself for a more permanent shelf.

As for eggs laying on their sides I could probably fit roughly 40 eggs on each shelf but hand turning you cant go too tight so your fingers have room to move the eggs, I have never used egg cartons in this incubator but I just went to check and you could fit 3 egg cartons per shelf.

If you want more detail on how to build this exact cooler bator, I learned how on one of Sally Sunshines threads. She was a great help. She made turners for hers I just never got around to that and at the time doing shelves was easier for me and of no extra cost since it was scraps I had on hand.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...bator-how-we-did-it-and-test-run-ready-set-go

 

[OneMountainAcres]

We're not getting crap for snow. We need it bad here in Nevada. It was even 71° here yesterday.... I can just imagine what my ppoor chooks are gonna fell like when summer gets here. Thank god I'm digging a pond for the ducks this spring, all they have had is a kiddie pool.

Oh, I would LOVE 71° right now. It's -11 here right now :/ though I do understand how it could be too hot for them in the summer. I just don't handle the cold well at all!

 

[chicken pickin]

Oh, I would LOVE 71° right now. It's -11 here right now

though I do understand how it could be too hot for them in the summer. I just don't handle the cold well at all!

This cold is no fun huh? Its zero right now and wind is still blowing strong out there. I haven't even gone out to the animals yet
Im trying to motivate myself to go do it real fast... My real fast with all the animals still takes me about an hour

I just checked the weather for my area and we have an alert for a wind chill warning. With the winds today at times we are going to be as low as 39below, oh when will winter end?

 

[Dustystrail]

This cold is no fun huh? Its zero right now and wind is still blowing strong out there. I haven't even gone out to the animals yet
Im trying to motivate myself to go do it real fast... My real fast with all the animals still takes me about an hour  

I just checked the weather for my area and we have an alert for a wind chill warning. With the winds today at times we are going to be as low as 39below, oh when will winter end?

Don't feel too bad. I'm trying to motivate too. We are up to 3 above. Thermometer says it was down to -13 last night. I'm making warm bran mash for the horses. They are going crazy stuck in the barn because of all the ice. If it takes me long enough to motivate I should be able to gather eggs too.

 

[Razadia]

I am so glad I live in the south. It's supposed to be 60 today. A few days ago they told us it was gonna snow.

 

[draye]

I am so glad I live in the south. It's supposed to be 60 today. A few days ago they told us it was gonna snow.

Where you at in the south?
I'm in Arkansas, 28 degrees with snow and ice on the ground. 34 for a high and low tonight at 10 degrees.
Sitting in my chair watching T.V.

 

[Razadia]

I am so glad I live in the south. It's supposed to be 60 today. A few days ago they told us it was gonna snow.

Where you at in the south?
I'm in Arkansas, 28 degrees with snow and ice on the ground. 34 for a high and low tonight at 10 degrees.
Sitting in my chair watching T.V.

Alabama. It is supposed to rain. I have carrots to get planted.

 

[karenerwin]

Missouri: 25 degrees (not sure about wind chill temp) and snowing. So far we have about 2 inches of snow.

 

[campingshaws]

64 and damp. Getting a cold front later, though.