The Moonshiner's Chick Chat

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

My big one can have up to 6 going so it's good to check them every now and again just cause that's 6Xs the chance at a failure.
Sometimes I had the same issue but more often when I'd go back I couldn't remember the positions.
I'd take pics like 12 times in a day and then compare.

my incubator has a turner that can be operated from the outside. Even if I just heard it turn, I turn the eggs whenever I check the humidity

 

[Canadian Wind]

I mentioned here that I suspected the turner in my 4250 wasn’t doing its job. Set timer, went back and it had moved. But I jiggled the turners back and forth as much as the slack would allow. My new theory is that it’s going through the cycle and hanging up at the same spot when it cycles back to that position. I’m guessing it has about 5 positions total? Correct me if I’m wrong. At around an hour per position it operates correctly for 5 hours then stops. Is there anything I can do to adjust it maybe? I’m afraid I may lose this batch.

Is hand-turning not an option? Some of my eggs in my new MeeF don't turn well, so I took out the motor and just turn them by hand several times a day.

 

[member 655102]

I mentioned here that I suspected the turner in my 4250 wasn’t doing its job. Set timer, went back and it had moved. But I jiggled the turners back and forth as much as the slack would allow. My new theory is that it’s going through the cycle and hanging up at the same spot when it cycles back to that position. I’m guessing it has about 5 positions total? Correct me if I’m wrong. At around an hour per position it operates correctly for 5 hours then stops. Is there anything I can do to adjust it maybe? I’m afraid I may lose this batch.

I can definitely see that being an issue. I stopped using mine after my 2nd batch cause the hatch rates were so terrible. I didn’t have time to sit and watch the turners but I’m willing to bet that something was faulty. That’s the same one that I told y’all I was gonna smash lol

 

[The Moonshiner]

I think the motor just continuously very slowly turns which slides that piece in that slotted piece which moves that piece to tilt the trays.
That all made sense right?
Anyways yes I've had a couple want to bind up at a certain spot. Even to the point of completing binding and burning up the motor.
Take it out and put the eggs back in the incubator. Look at the motor and the arm piece and you'll get an idea of how it moves it. Take the motor off. Those 2 little screws.
Slowly gently move that arm back and forth to get a feel for it and to see if it feels like it has a bind spot.
What I do with all of mine is take it all apart. Look at the trays. The part that goes in the holes and slots. I've saw a small bump of plastic from the molding process. I use a piece of fine sand paper or the edge of a box knife on all those areas. Just to make sure their completely smooth.and completed round. Just a quick little hit. More of a just to be sure not so much that you'd notice a difference.
then the best part. I find a drill bit that is just a smidgen bigger then the holes and slotted holes and slowly carefully drill them out. You want those as smooth as possible too.
Then put it all back together besides the motor. Now slide that arm back and forth like before and see if it feels smoother and easier.
I probably am a bit nuts because it's incubator but to me I swear it makes it feel like sliding on glass once compared to before.
Ok that's a ramble but basic idea is you want it to all move as smooth and easily as possible cause sometimes it doesn't take much to bind them and once you add the weight of the eggs a little smoother action can make a difference.

 

[WallyG74]

Hand turning isn’t an option. I have a job. I suppose I can jiggle it right before I leave for work and let it go through the cycle. Get home, do some more jiggling. Keep doing that and hope for the best.

 

[WallyG74]

I think the motor just continuously very slowly turns which slides that piece in that slotted piece which moves that piece to tilt the trays.
That all made sense right?
Anyways yes I've had a couple want to bind up at a certain spot. Even to the point of completing binding and burning up the motor.
Take it out and put the eggs back in the incubator. Look at the motor and the arm piece and you'll get an idea of how it moves it. Take the motor off. Those 2 little screws.
Slowly gently move that arm back and forth to get a feel for it and to see if it feels like it has a bind spot.
What I do with all of mine is take it all apart. Look at the trays. The part that goes in the holes and slots. I've saw a small bump of plastic from the molding process. I use a piece of fine sand paper or the edge of a box knife on all those areas. Just to make sure their completely smooth.and completed round. Just a quick little hit. More of a just to be sure not so much that you'd notice a difference.
then the best part. I find a drill bit that is just a smidgen bigger then the holes and slotted holes and slowly carefully drill them out. You want those as smooth as possible too.
Then put it all back together besides the motor. Now slide that arm back and forth like before and see if it feels smoother and easier.
I probably am a bit nuts because it's incubator but to me I swear it makes it feel like sliding on glass once compared to before.
Ok that's a ramble but basic idea is you want it to all move as smooth and easily as possible cause sometimes it doesn't take much to bind them and once you add the weight of the eggs a little smoother action can make a difference.

Sounds like a plan! I’ll get to that when I get home today.

 

[member 655102]

I think the motor just continuously very slowly turns which slides that piece in that slotted piece which moves that piece to tilt the trays.
That all made sense right?
Anyways yes I've had a couple want to bind up at a certain spot. Even to the point of completing binding and burning up the motor.
Take it out and put the eggs back in the incubator. Look at the motor and the arm piece and you'll get an idea of how it moves it. Take the motor off. Those 2 little screws.
Slowly gently move that arm back and forth to get a feel for it and to see if it feels like it has a bind spot.
What I do with all of mine is take it all apart. Look at the trays. The part that goes in the holes and slots. I've saw a small bump of plastic from the molding process. I use a piece of fine sand paper or the edge of a box knife on all those areas. Just to make sure their completely smooth.and completed round. Just a quick little hit. More of a just to be sure not so much that you'd notice a difference.
then the best part. I find a drill bit that is just a smidgen bigger then the holes and slotted holes and slowly carefully drill them out. You want those as smooth as possible too.
Then put it all back together besides the motor. Now slide that arm back and forth like before and see if it feels smoother and easier.
I probably am a bit nuts because it's incubator but to me I swear it makes it feel like sliding on glass once compared to before.
Ok that's a ramble but basic idea is you want it to all move as smooth and easily as possible cause sometimes it doesn't take much to bind them and once you add the weight of the eggs a little smoother action can make a difference.

Want another one? I don’t need mine

 

[The Moonshiner]

Sounds like a plan! I’ll get to that when I get home today.

And thank you for you post with jiggle and jiggle in it.
Reminded me of this and now its stuck in my head....

 

[The Moonshiner]

Want another one? I don’t need mine

ya, maybe.

 

[member 655102]

ya, maybe.

…What’s your location in Missouri?