When I first set up my homemade incubator, I used two digital thermomenters one with a "highly accurate" hygrometer. There was always a 2 degree difference between them--so I split the difference--keeping it under 102 and over 99. I was also able to keep the humidity at 60. Now, a month later, there is an almost 5 degree difference--I don't feel good splitting the difference. What thermometer should I trust? And now the humidity won't get above 45. I am going to try closing up some ventiliation holes to increase the humidity--and mabe add another water jar and sponge. But what should I do about the temp? Adding another thermometer is just going to confuse things--both are pretty decent (over twenty dollars) . How can I callibrate? Any adivice?
Incubation conundrum.
trust the thermometer at the level of the eggs... i have one that lays flat and one that is upright [use it for the hygrometer]. recently i laid it flat to check the temp change and forgot to move it back. then i got bad hygrometer readings and lost the hatch except the one that came early...
remember with rH, you need surface area. so skip the jar and start with two sponges, cut back to one if necessary...
are there eggs in it yet?
No, I'm expecting some Barnevelder eggs today. I am thinking of just breaking down and buying a Hoverbater at the local feedstore. Can't really afford it--but I really want the Barnevelder and ordered them before I left for SA. The breeder just emailed me and said he mailed them Tuesday. I thought I'd have more heads-up to get the incubator running again. Anyway I will need one that can handle more than the 18 my homemade one can handle:-) I know about keeping the thermometer at the upper 1/4 inch of the eggs, but both my thermometers are at the same level and reading 4 degrees difference. Last month there was only a 2 degree difference and I thought it was managable. Not so sure now. 4 degrees puts them in the danger zone either way. I had thought of taking the sponge out, but your saying so makes me more confident. I'm very excited and nervous.
Checked the feedstore and they now carry only the Little Giant 9200 still air incubator for ~ $48. They also have the egg turner for it for a similar sum. Googled it and it seems comparable to the Hoverbator--a little better in some areas--a little worse in others. Anyone have experience with it?
This message was edited Mar 27, 2008 3:11 PM
wish i knew what was wrong w/ thermometers. one is off & getting worse! one of mine sllipped out of place, DH noticed, a staple came out. there's a little line at the top where it is supposed to line up. there were the hovabator ones, sure you don't have that probelm, but thought it would help someone else.
barnvelders... buy what you can get immediately!
I bought the egg turner for the little giant. I have replaced the motor twice and it doesn't work again. I was told that this was a comon problem, I think it's because the motor is on the inside and it overheats. We are rigging an outside one now.
Well, I have the Hovabator with the turner and it's working properly. I am having trouble, however, with the temps and rh. Can't seem to regulate them like I would like to have them. But, so far, not problems with the babies.
Tomorrow is the day I take them out of the turner and put them on the bottom to hatch. Hopefully we will have babies on Monday (or maybe Sunday). Will let you know.
Hi jylgaskin. I went to the feedstore and bought the LG incubator and turner before I saw you message. However--they had a new re-designed eggturner as well as the old one. I assumed they wouldn't have re-designed it if it worked well, so I bought the new one. It has a different kind of motor and better egg cups. The fact that it is a different motor makes me think your experience was not unusual. Thanks for the heads up.
TamaraFaye/ Granny--I read a review of both the Hoverbator and the LG. I'll put the link below. The writer says that it takes a while to "break them in" temp wise and then they stablize. It is an interesting site. I took the sponge out of the jar in my homemade bator and now the humidity is up to 60! Yeah, and thanks TamaraFaye. My eggs didn't come today--but Ideal emailed and said they had Barnevelder eggs for me as well. I was on a waiting list. Thats why I need the LG as well as my own. DH is looking worried.
http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/incubator/batortest.html
sounds like he has cause to worry LOL you are getting sick with fever...
Yes, TamataFaye, I am a sick, sick woman:-) Just opened my Little Giant Incubator and saw the thermometer that comes with it. Not so good. I bought one like that when I had my first Roo Brooder.
DH loaned me his guitar room thermometer/hygrometer to use in my homemade bator and it agrees with my "highly accurate" cigar thermometer/hygrometer--which means that I would have cooked the eggs since my other digital thermometer was reading 98.6 when the "highly accurate" one was reading 104! I really think it is necessary to have more than one thermometer to monitor the hatch well.
The breeder Barnevelder eggs have not arrived....I am worried. They were mailed Priority from the east coast on Tuesday. Should definitely have been here by today. Post Office says they haven't seen them. And the hatchery that emailed me that my hatchery Barnevelder eggs would be ready on the 8th has not returned my calls about confirming it. I MUST have Barnevelders--don't ask me why.....
I am growing very fond of my Marans. She is so different from the other chicks. Not very bright but sort of lovable. When the other chicks go into the coop for the night, she just can't figure out how they get there and bumbles around until you pick her up and put her in. She even sounds different, sort of hoarse and growly instead of all chirpy like the others. And such pretty, soft feathers!
"highly accurate" cigar thermometer/hygrometer
I want one!
I shouldn't be here, i should be typing and printing and faxing stuff to lawyer... always knew i woul dhave my day in court, jusry and all. just had know idea i would be defending my defenseless chickens LOL
your Marans sound about as bright as my sex links LOL! but they are cute and sweet.
I simply must look into Barnevelders now... well, later...
yes, more than one thermometer is a must. and now i know two hygrometers isn't such a bad idea either...
tf
Well, I guess the litle giant thermometer could explain why I have so much trouble with mine! Maybe I'll get a new thermometer and try again. I'll need it as my ducks seem to have persuaded my silkies to sit their eggs instead of the ones I wanted them to sit. It ought to be real interesting when they hatch.
LOL!
anyone want to tell me ho wmany eggs need to be in a goose nest before they set?
one has been setting ofr over a week now. this AM my DH found another nest, looks huge, and we can't figure out why the other goose isn't on it yet?
jyl, i hear that chickens freak out when the waterfowl babies they hatch head for the water! this needs to be videotaped!
My geese used to start sitting with about 15 to 18 eggs. After they started, I would sneek out about half so I wouldn't end up with so many goslings.
This ought to be real good with the ducklings. There is one or two silkie eggs too. Hope they don't think they're ducks!
what will happen when the chicks hatch? will you take them? otherwise she might abandon the ducks, and they take one week longer to hatch...
we are wondering if this other nest was previously abandoned. i may sneak an egg out and do a float test, and crack it open to see if it is bad...
that would be something if th esilkie chicks keep following the ducklings into water! you better have a plan jyl!
I'll probably take the silkie out if it hatches and try to get her to set again on some real chicken eggs. I doubt that Momduck will let her stay with the ducklings. I can always move the silkie to annother pen for a while.
good plan.
last fall when my duck made a nest, the hens kept chasing her off to lay under her. after she sat on them and was 21 days from hatching her ducklings, i blocked her in so they wouldn't lay anymore and then abandoment wouldn't be an issue. only 1 of 5 hen eggs were good, and we got the most wonderful purebred Buckeye cockerel! the duck eggs didn't hatch either. but Olive is on the nest again, and with at least one chicken egg! I think it is from the very same Buckeye hen LOL
here is Apricot then...
and now...
She is beautiful, TamaraFaye. A little like a RIR, but with richer coloring. I want one!
Ideal called me today, because I sent an email Friday asking if they had booked my confirmation on the Barnevelder eggs. Unfortunately it was the weekend staff and they couldn't tell me--will call me back on Monday. I haven't been able to track my breeder Barnevelder eggs through the PO beyond their being mailed by the breeder from South Carolina on the 25th. So I guess the Post Office has lost them....or they will get here so late the viability should be nil or at least very very low. It is odd--I've arranged for Barnevelder eggs from two reputable sources and both are trying to get them to me, but I'm not sure at all I will ever have any.
Still hoping for Marans and SilkieXs. I've got two incubators and no eggs. If I weren't worried about contamination I'd put supermarket eggs in, just to watch the egg turn work in the LittleGiant:0).
More questions. I am practice running my Little Giant incubator dry right now. Does putting water in change the way the temperature adjusts--because of the latent heat in the water? Maybe I better try it out with water? I know I need water when the eggs are in the bator, but then how is everyone reading the humidity? I don't see a hygrometer in the LittleGiant and the hygrometers I use in the homemade bator look like they would get beat up by the egg turner. Maybe it is a good thing the eggs aren't here yet. I still have bugs to workout.
This message was edited Mar 30, 2008 11:23 PM
yes, you need to get the proper amount of wate rin there and then re-regulate the temp before putting eggs in.
get busy girl, eggs could arrive tomorrow!
What I have done to help with the temperature regulation, and to avoid constantly over-correcting an empty incubator during the warm-up period, try putting in two ziploc bags full of water, or better yet, I use the gel freezer pacs, which are very dense and hold the heat well. I microwave them for two-three minutes until they get hot to the touch. That saves hours of warming them up. When you get your eggs, let them set at room temp during the cold months for 12 hours or so, and then put them into a warmer spot to get them even closer to the target temp. I use my hatcher for this, especially if I have staggered egg batches going into the incubator. This prevents the already incubating eggs from getting chilled when the eggs go in. And for the empty incubator, just remove the gel pacs after the temp. re-stabilizes from the new egg introduction.