I am working on building a new homemade incubator. I bought a huge cooler a Wal-mart and have installed a light at the top along with a fan. Then under those I have installed pegs through the walls to put aluminum pans on to hold the eggs. My question is as follows (numbered them for specific answers)
1. Since the GQF incubators I have seen have a solid tray, is there any problem with using a solid bottom aluminum pan? Wondering about air flow. I have tray situated so that air can circulate on all sides and front and back.
2. Does anyone here use the egg carton method for incubating? Do I need to cut the bottom of the cups off of the egg cartons?
3. If I prop the egg cartons on one end and switch the prop 3 times a day is that the same as turning??? How much of an incline do they need to be at to consider it a full turn when switched? I had read that it should be 45 degrees.
4. I have my light (heat source) located at the top. My idea is to switch the trays at each turn so that the top eggs don't get to much heat and the bottom not enough? Sound Feasible?
5. Any other suggestions or concerns?
I am trying to get this up and running today and would appreciate your expert advice.
Sheila
New Bator Development Advice
Dang girl, I was just thinking the same thing on the turner, have it where I would flip it back and forth. I am waiting for your answers as well.
Luvs, I have a question? Is it Tia or Tina? I am so excited about this bator. It should hold about 8 dozen eggs. I am planning on setting 2 dozen each week and rotating out to our old incubator (use for a hatcher).
Am waiting with baited breath for answers.
Sheila
I would be most worried about air flow and temperature stratification. Do you have ventilation holes to the exterior? Apparently oxygen levels are critical--especially later in the incubation. And then test the temperature at different levels in the incubator before setting any eggs.
I built another hatcher last night--one time I used my old hatcher to incubate eggs for a week while the real incubator was full--I had them in a cardboard egg carton and tipped them three times a day like you described. I've never tried a solid cooler--just styrofoam. Let us know how it works--it sounds much easier to clean.
Innovation---So exciting!
Easier to clean was the main idea along with increased capacity. I do have ventilation holes to the outside. I have checked the temp and it seems to be fairly stable at all levels. But again think it would be added security to rotate the pans from top to bottom in succession.
The air flow around the eggs is what I am concerned most about. But when inspecting that GQF incubator at chickenstock. the trays in it were solid all the way across with space at both side and back and fron, just like mine.
Am waiting for more info on incubating in egg cartons and I think then I am ready to set.
Sheila
Thought I would try and post some pics. So here goes nothing!
Sheila
Well darn that did not post as I had it rotated. the top is on the left so rotate your head accordingly. I alsohave another glass to install in the top half and just have not got that completed yet. Will try another pic.
It looks great! How did you cut into the plastic?
This is a pic of the inside of the bator with one shelf/tray inserted.
VERY CAREFULLY, Cat! LOL! This is just a prototype and rigged. I cut the plastic with a steak knife and 911 pre-programmed into my phone. The plastic wasn't as hard to cut as I thought. Just thin plastic on both sides with the middle being styrofoam.
Sheila
Pic of the aluminum shelf used to hold egg cartons. Are they at enough angle to be a complete turn?
What about air flow? To my untrained eye (never having hatched any chicken eggs) it looks like once the trays are all in the air might be stagnant the further down you go. The ones at the hatcheries seem to have a gap all the way around the trays. Not sure how strong the fans in those are.
Now some newbie questions here. Are incubators different from hatchers? I've seen you gals mention moving the chicks to them before moving them out to a brooder. What's the difference? I'm thinking of trying my hand at this next spring with the geese and duck eggs.
MollyD
Molly, great question. I have about 3/4 inch space between the tray and both side walls and about an inch space between the tray and the front and back walls. From what I looked at in the GQF incubator, I have more space for air flow than they have. But good question, is their fan stronger than mine.
Some of this is trial and error and hopefully more good results, than bad.
There are differences in an incubator and a hatcher if you buy them separately. What most of us are discussing (I believe) is using an incubator that is not as nice as our good incubator as a hatcher.
I have a styrofoam incubator that I had been doing both incubation and hatching in. With this new incubator I can set staggered hatches, leaving the eggs in the new bator at 99.5 degrees and 50 - 55% humidity and then when they reach the last 3 days move them to my old incubator which would be set at 99.5 degrees and 60 - 65% humidity.
Many people move their eggs to a separate hatcher so to allow eggs to remain in different stages of incubation. Also the separate hatcher(old incubator method) allows you to keep your main incubator clean as the hatching process is quite messy.
Hope that was clear as mud.
I hope you do take a venture into incubating. Everyone needs to try it at least once. But beware, it is veryy addicting!
Sheila
One last pic of the fan and light set up.
Sheila
Thanks Shiela! I think I got it. Both are basically the same but the hatcher takes the dirt and deals with the eggs at the end of the process. The incubator serves eggs at different stages of the process and if you put them all in at the same time you could in theory leave the eggs in the incubator to hatch out.
Did I get that right?
MollyD
Sheila I noticed that your fan is wired to your light. Does this mean the fan stops running if the light is off? Is there a thermostat somewhere?
MollyD
That's exactly right! If you set all of the eggs at one time you could leave them in and just raise the humidity for the last three days and let them hatch.
Sheila
The fan is not wired to the light, the pic is deceiving. The fan wire is run out the drain hole to the plug directly. It stays on at all times. The wiring you see is the light wired to a dimmer switch which is installed on the outside. (forgot a pic of that). I regulate the heat with the dimmer switch, which increases and decreases the light with the turn of a knob. It works just like one would work in your house.
Sheila
will try and get a pic of the dimmer and add.
And you don't have to have a turner in the hatcher--because you don't turn the eggs through the last 3 days. That also makes staggered hatches easier.
Thanks guys! That clears the process up in my mind till I'm actually tackling it.
MollyD
What if you use wire shelves like frig shelves with sides for when the chicks hatch that would let more air move.
Yes it is Tina, I thought I have told the story here, but anyway here goes. I posted in the flower ID forum a question to what this one flower was and then said TIA at the end to mean..........Thanks in advance. So everyone just called me Tia. I thought hell close enough.
Ok so how was you gonna turn the tray, from the inside or the outside?
I was thinking of not opening the top at all and some how turning the tray from the outside. But would still need to candle so turning from the inside would work also.
Well "Tina" I was rednecking the turning part also. I have an egg carton lid in each tray on one end. I am a believer of letting the fresh air in, just like a broody gets off the nest to eat and poop. So my idea was to remove the top trayslide the egg carton lid to the other end and place on the next shelf down. That way each tray is rotated away from the top light bulb and each tray from the bottom eventually rises to the top.
That was on of my questions. Is the tray inclined enough to constitute a turn??
Sheila
Very good idea there, I was thinking the same thing, hen gets off nest for 30 minutes to an hour so should be ample time to turn, rotate. I am hoping to get a good answer to the just tip the carton one way or the other at a 45 degrees. I guess i could attempt it with mutt eggs. My luck it would work and I would have babies to winter.
I did do the tip the carton and it seemed to work fine--but only the first week or so until I had room in the incubtor with the egg-turner. I'd go for.
Ok so you would trade the top and bottom trays?
Question here, are the eggs sitting up or laying down?
Tina-
I would take the top and move it down one, take that one move it down one, etc. Then take the bottom and move to the top. That way all trays rotate throughout the bator. I figured that this would help with any temperature differentials.
The eggs would be sitting up in the egg cartons, pointed end down.
Sheila
Ok 3 tiered. So far sounds great from what I have been reading up on bators. But I have never seen one let alone used one. I am curious to see your results. Since I DO NOT want to winter any chicks just yet, maybe next year, I will wait.
Actually 4 tiered. Each tier holds 2 dozen eggs so will hold 8 dozen.
Sheila
Are you considering putting a thermometer at the bottom too just to make sure the temp is consistent?
I'm a newbie.. but that thought just came to mind..
I have checked the temp at all 4 tiers and with the fan I have it is staying within a half a degree from top to bottom. I am happy with that, since I will be rotating the shelves of eggs.
Sheila
Wow, this is excellent! I am so glad to see it working out after having heard your ideas at chickenstock. Half a degree is amazing. I can't wait to see the first hatch in it!
That is a very nice idea you have come up with. Do you look at your thermostat through your window in the top? I have a thermostat that is designed to have the reading part inside and a probe to go through the window. Would it work on a project like this?
I wouldn't see why that wouldn't work Cajun. Probably easier than what I have now. Yes I look through the window.
Sheila
How has your creation been working? I am very tempted to put one of these together and now I have DH interested. He is handy with such things so it could actually happen. Has yours been a success?
WOW! That is fabulous! You are so creative!!! I am impressed with your skills.
Bowing in awww!