The Incubator Thread

[gimmie birdies]

I left you a message. Chicken lover

 

[KernH]

LOL, I am Too------obsessive. Did alot of home-work, personal studying, solving problems----dreamed Incubating---watch the broodies, for info, etc, etc, built my own incubator and hatcher, bought several used ones--think about this----in the last 1 1/2 years I have built/bought 5 cabinet incubators(GQF, Dickies, etc) built a cabinet Hatcher, bought around 10 more styrofoam to go with the 2 I had. I have hatched over 5500 chicks in a little over a year---I got 19 heated brooders, some unheated grow pens, 63 chicken pens, I got chicken pens that I have not even put up yet, I got a room full of feeders, waterers, wire I have not used----I got probably 100 nexting boxes I bought in the last 1 1/2 years that I am not using "Yet"------With this info----Do You Feel I am Obsessive----LOL-----I would say---Yep I am very Obsessive---The reason I do not do a float test is----I just mainly got to about 100% hatch rate----sometimes I got down to 95% but not often. So I did not have any to float???

It is guys like you that help me feel normal. LOL! Kern

 

[slordaz]

was not successful helping the one that pipped went slow and maybe should have not done so
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-to-my-egg-graphic-pictures/260#post_16047367

was quite disappointing but will try again in smaller batches, and find a different incubator for hatching

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am sorry.

 

[slordaz]

thanks,

not impressed with the egg turner included with my incubator, thinking next time I will just lay them in there and manually turn them. or figure out how to make one like your box incubator. it doesn't need a lot of tools to make does it?

for your humor my dad says I am not supposed to touch the tools.

 

[PD-Riverman]

thanks,

not impressed with the egg turner included with my incubator, thinking next time I will just lay them in there and manually turn them. or figure out how to make one like your box incubator. it doesn't need a lot of tools to make does it?

for your humor my dad says I am not supposed to touch the tools.

Slordaz, you said on the other post that you went my the Digital, built in and another thermometer?? Were all 3 about the same readings?? You got a picture of your turner and why did you not like it?

 

[WVduckchick]

LOL, I am Too------obsessive. Did alot of home-work, personal studying, solving problems----dreamed Incubating---watch the broodies, for info, etc, etc, built my own incubator and hatcher, bought several used ones--think about this----in the last 1 1/2 years I have built/bought 5 cabinet incubators(GQF, Dickies, etc) built a cabinet Hatcher, bought around 10 more styrofoam to go with the 2 I had. I have hatched over 5500 chicks in a little over a year---I got 19 heated brooders, some unheated grow pens, 63 chicken pens, I got chicken pens that I have not even put up yet, I got a room full of feeders, waterers, wire I have not used----I got probably 100 nexting boxes I bought in the last 1 1/2 years that I am not using "Yet"------With this info----Do You Feel I am Obsessive----LOL-----I would say---Yep I am very Obsessive---The reason I do not do a float test is----I just mainly got to about 100% hatch rate----sometimes I got down to 95% but not often. So I did not have any to float???

Ok, so you DO sound a "little" obsessive...

Wow, that's alot of everything! I don't think you could ever be accused of going in half-azzed!
So are you selling birds? Eggs? I assume you started a business?

And one more BIG question, if you don't mind....do you think you could pick one factor that is MOST important, that yields you such awesome hatch rates?

Where is the "bag" with the pics----I want to see??

I see you found it...

 

[slordaz]

Slordaz, you said on the other post that you went my the Digital, built in and another thermometer?? Were all 3 about the same readings?? You got a picture of your turner and why did you not like it?

Sorry was out and lost cell phone will get pictured of egg turner as soon a I find it, but seemed that they were a bit sloppy as it turned the eggs if I use it again would be after some modification to help keep eggs more steady. When it went on lock down with it not moving got a spike in temp to 102 for 10-15 minutes and finally removed it and temps returned to normal 99.5 and only humidity was wonky instead of both.


Yes both were reading within +/- .2 of eachother. The other one was calibrated before we started but other doesn't monitor the humidity though so humidity was only one what the built in said. There was plenty enough had trouble seeing in.

Will sanitize it and try a small hatch manually turning the eggs and see how that goes, wonky will not prevail. Have my notes on observations from this attempt too.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Sorry was out and lost cell phone will get pictured of egg turner as soon a I find it, but seemed that they were a bit sloppy as it turned the eggs if I use it again would be after some modification to help keep eggs more steady. When it went on lock down with it not moving got a spike in temp to 102 for 10-15 minutes and finally removed it and temps returned to normal 99.5 and only humidity was wonky instead of both.


Yes both were reading within +/- .2 of eachother. The other one was calibrated before we started but other doesn't monitor the humidity though so humidity was only one what the built in said. There was plenty enough had trouble seeing in.

Will sanitize it and try a small hatch manually turning the eggs and see how that goes, wonky will not prevail. Have my notes on observations from this attempt too.

All hard plastic cheaper egg turners that I am familiar with-----allow the egg to rock back and forth----do not fit the egg good. This has never casued a problem with me. All mine do it and No I do not try to wedge etc to keep it from happening---it does it so slow it does not hurt a thing. I would not trust the built in humidity meter so "I" would check it with another on the next hatch to see. I would up the temp 1/2 a degree from what you were on this time.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ok, so you DO sound a "little" obsessive...

Wow, that's alot of everything! I don't think you could ever be accused of going in half-azzed!
So are you selling birds? Eggs? I assume you started a business?

And one more BIG question, if you don't mind....do you think you could pick one factor that is MOST important, that yields you such awesome hatch rates?


I see you found it...

LOL, yea, I thought so. I was setting up a way to keep myself busy----so I did not get bored----Not a Business---"Playing". Yes I was selling, had all kinda thoughts but the Bird Flu scare changed all that. I am not selling anything that I have to raise chickens any time soon-----just sitting back to see what happens.



The BIG question the one Factor that is Most important to have a great hatch is----To Do IT all Right----LOL. Not the answer you were wanting, but everything is important to get a good hatch. I remember the second hatch I had---years ago, 47 eggs in---hatched 1. I did better the first hatch. I did not hatch for a long time----then I hatched some more---Probably 12 out of 47. 3 out of 47. So I did not have good hatches in the start----but we did not have internet back then either. In the 90's I decided to hatch some more-----I had figured out something I was doing wrong and I had a good hatch. I only hatched about once a year till in 2014. I told the wife I was going to get into hatching kinda heavy and I did.