The Never Ending Hatching thread! For those of us that hatch all year long!

[RainyDayChicken]

hello,
I have 18 PRIR, 13PBA and 3 silkie eggs in the incubator that I set on Feb 8. I will post after I candle Sunday.

Thanks
Richard

 

[tadpole98]

Quote: Because, as I have been taught this is the reason, that without the fan different spots of the incubator would be different temps, with the fan it evens it all out.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I want to go to a place where i can physicly walk in bcuz im 12i dont have a credit or debit card and i dont trust websites too many scams

If you have a Tractor Supply Company locally, they carry the simple Little Giant Styrofoam incubators and the egg turners that fit in them. Right now they are on sale for $34.99 each, marked down from $45.00 each.

Otherwise, most feed stores carry the simple ones as well.

Both are still air, but the fan kit, which is VERY easy to install is about $34.00 as well and anyplace that carries the incubators can order the fan.

Also, you could check on Craigslist. I find incubators listed on there all the time.

 

[Impress]

I need some emotional support, today is the earliest day I can candle my Lemon Cuckoo Orpington eggs, but my Brinsea 380 is locked down because I have Blue Sizzles hatching. ARG! I REALLY WANT TO CANDLE THOSE EGGS AND SEE IF THEY ARE GOOD! I had to jump through hoops to find those eggs within driving distance, and I just want to be able to sleep tonight.

Someone hold me. *whimpers*

 

[ozexpat]

I need some emotional support, today is the earliest day I can candle my Lemon Cuckoo Orpington eggs, but my Brinsea 380 is locked down because I have Blue Sizzles hatching. ARG! I REALLY WANT TO CANDLE THOSE EGGS AND SEE IF THEY ARE GOOD! I had to jump through hoops to find those eggs within driving distance, and I just want to be able to sleep tonight.

Someone hold me. *whimpers*

do you ever have issues with lock down humidity on younger eggs?


Hugs

 

[chicken fever]

well i'm officially addicted to hatching! need big incubator! setting a very full farm innovater on Monday with loss of fun breeds!

 

[Runawaylobster]

Well my eggs got here yesterday and i have the incubator (LG with computer fan) on, and i'm trying a new way to
work the temperatures. I had a really bad hatch last time so this time I am trying new stuff. I really don't want to
have a repeat of last time.

I got a non fertile egg and taped the temperature sensor to the top of it. I also opened the 2nd plug on the top
because if i get it nicely balanced with that plug in I can't make the adjustment easily when it is supposed to be
taken out on lockdown so i want to get it going with both plugs out. I worry that I didn't have enough fresh airflow
last time during hatch.

I also worry that the fan dries out the eggs after they pipped on hatching. The fan blows upwards (away from the eggs)
so the only other thing i could do perhaps is to use a 9V power supply instead of 12v to make the fan slow down.
does anyone know if the 80mm computer fans have too much airflow..

so far with both plugs out the incubator is not playing nice and seems to be working the thermostat much harder!
I can't understand why they put the hole directly above where the fan goes, it seems it would just suck out the warm
air and humidity rather than circulating it, but I copied the way their fan is installed???

I am also worried that the incubator has huge temperature variations in different positions so tonight after work i'm
going to move the egg with the sensor attached allover the incubator and map it? has anyone done this before...

I know I sound nuts but last hatch was expensive and i had to help almost everyone out of the shells, I had so many
non survivors it just really sucked. I was ready to thow it away and get a sportsman but guess i'm a glutton for
punishment and decided to give it one more try.

Any comments on this setup/plan would be awesome, i feel a bit like the lone ranger out here....

The eggs look lovely 7 nice dark brown blue copper marans and 7 ameraucana/white leghorn cross...

 

[Little Wing]

Well my eggs got here yesterday and i have the incubator (LG with computer fan) on, and I'm trying a new way to
work the temperatures. I had a really bad hatch last time so this time I am trying new stuff. I really don't want to
have a repeat of last time.

I got a non fertile egg and taped the temperature sensor to the top of it. I also opened the 2nd plug on the top
because if i get it nicely balanced with that plug in I can't make the adjustment easily when it is supposed to be
taken out on lockdown so i want to get it going with both plugs out. I worry that I didn't have enough fresh airflow
last time during hatch.

I also worry that the fan dries out the eggs after they pipped on hatching. The fan blows upwards (away from the eggs)
so the only other thing i could do perhaps is to use a 9V power supply instead of 12v to make the fan slow down.
does anyone know if the 80mm computer fans have too much airflow..

so far with both plugs out the incubator is not playing nice and seems to be working the thermostat much harder!
I can't understand why they put the hole directly above where the fan goes, it seems it would just suck out the warm
air and humidity rather than circulating it, but I copied the way their fan is installed???

I am also worried that the incubator has huge temperature variations in different positions so tonight after work i'm
going to move the egg with the sensor attached allover the incubator and map it? has anyone done this before...

I know I sound nuts but last hatch was expensive and i had to help almost everyone out of the shells, I had so many
non survivors it just really sucked. I was ready to thow it away and get a sportsman but guess i'm a glutton for
punishment and decided to give it one more try.

Any comments on this setup/plan would be awesome, i feel a bit like the lone ranger out here....

The eggs look lovely 7 nice dark brown blue copper marans and 7 ameraucana/white leghorn cross...

I read where someone took a plastic Easter egg and drilled a hole in the end filled it with silicon and slid the temp sensor inside and let the silicon set up so they could get a Reading from the center of the egg. I may try that!

Are you talking about getting your humidity balanced or temps. Why do you have to take the plug out on lockdown. I thought you put it in to raise humidity at that time. What humidity do you keep it at during set time. You being in Florida, you probably don't have to worry about that too much. I read where dark Marans eggs need a higher humidity than others though.

With the fan installed, the thermostat is going to turn on and off more because it is drawing more fresh air in and that's what you wanted.

I have 80mm fans in my cooler-bator and hatcher and they work ok. As long as humidity is up, they shouldn't dry out after pipping. The fans that are made for the LG draw the air in through the top hole and blow it out sideways which is a little different than a computer fan that blows up or down. I wouldn't worry about temp variations with the fan, it should keep the air circulated so that won't happen. Let me know how the mapping goes.

I hope this hatch goes better than the last. I crossed EE with Leghorns and they came out pretty much all white. They haven't started laying yet.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Runawaylobster]

I read where someone took a plastic Easter egg and drilled a hole in the end filled it with silicon and slid the temp sensor inside and let the silicon set up so they could get a Reading from the center of the egg. I may try that!

Are you talking about getting your humidity balanced or temps. Why do you have to take the plug out on lockdown. I thought you put it in to raise humidity at that time. What humidity do you keep it at during set time. You being in Florida, you probably don't have to worry about that too much. I read where dark Marans eggs need a higher humidity than others though.

With the fan installed, the thermostat is going to turn on and off more because it is drawing more fresh air in and that's what you wanted.

I have 80mm fans in my cooler-bator and hatcher and they work ok. As long as humidity is up, they shouldn't dry out after pipping. The fans that are made for the LG draw the air in through the top hole and blow it out sideways which is a little different than a computer fan that blows up or down. I wouldn't worry about temp variations with the fan, it should keep the air circulated so that won't happen. Let me know how the mapping goes.

I hope this hatch goes better than the last. I crossed EE with Leghorns and they came out pretty much all white. They haven't started laying yet.

GOOD LUCK!!

Hey thanks for the feedback... the instructions say to take out both plugs on lockdown (i'm going to double check to make sure i didnt read it wrong) so that was why i wanted to have it preset that way.. i thought it was to increase the O2 level. (actually i have cylinders of O2 allover the house from my diving i could leak a little bit in there but who knows what it would do to the chicks LOL!!, maybe hatch at double speed )the

both humidity and temperature actually, although temperature is primarily the goal at this point, once i get that taken care of i'm more confident about controlling humidity. Last time i didn't have a squirt bottle but i found one this time (leftover from that stuff you squirt on your dog's teeth to prevent tartar LOL!!!!)., so i won't have to open it for that. Since it's inside in the AC, humidity does drop down quite a bit.

I studied the videos online to figure out how the LG fan install looks are you sure this is how they do actually work, i can't find anywhere that it says this but i was just looking? if so It's easy to flip the fan to make it do what you say and put in a baffle plate to redirect the airflow sideways and stop it blowing on the eggs.

i have one cross like this.. it was the only survivor from the white eggs in the last hatch. Yes it's totally white, but i still haven't figured out gender. looks alot like a girl but just last week the comb started to turn pink. but it isn't a pea comb with 3 rows, it has just one row.

 

[Little Wing]

Removing the plugs lowers humidity. At lockdown you want it higher. I run mine with one hole plugged and no water added during incubation. The humidity in mine stays around 40 percent. I use a hatcher for lockdown. I did use the LG once to hatch and it worked fine.
I just lit a cig

and held it above the hole that is over the fan and it drew the smoke in and then I put by the other hole and air was coming out of the one. It probably doesn't make any difference either way. If there is a LOT of air blowing out, and you think it making it hard to regulate temps and humidity then partially close the holes. I lay a quarter halfway over the hole to reduce airflow sometimes.