ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[elevan]

So here's the incubator that I'm looking at:

Yeah, it's a little pricier ($145) but it's digital and has an automatic turner - 2 things that I really like. What do y'all think?

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

So here's the incubator that I'm looking at:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/2607_incubator.jpg


Yeah, it's a little pricier ($145) but it's digital and has an automatic turner - 2 things that I really like. What do y'all think?

I think it is nice, but small and expensive. I think you would be better off building your own. I built my own and it holds 40-50 eggs max. I only put $12.00 in it (if that) for the thermometer and hygrometer (Humidity and Tempature Gauges). I can post pictures of mine once I get time. I made it from an old 10 gallon fish tank. Mine isn't a bad incubator either, it is forced air (has a fan) but I have to tilt the egg cartons everyday (I glued PVC pipes on the bottom of egg cartons as my turner). I believe you can buy an automatic egg turner kit that can be installed in homemade incubators too. I am going to set my first batch of eggs this week hopefully!
But that is a nice incubator. I have seen alot of people over on BYC with that incubator and I have heard nothing bad about it. Another place to look is on craigslist. Sometimes people sell good incubators for cheap on there.
Good Luck! I will also gladly incubate eggs for you if you ever wanted.

By the way, is that incubator forced air or still air?

 

[elevan]

By the way, is that incubator forced air or still air?

:/ IDK...

 

[elevan]

They have one that doesn't have the turner (you have to do it manually) for $80. So I guess the question is...how many times a day do the eggs have to be turned? And does that make it worth it to spend the extra $65?

Man, when I type out that there's a $65 difference just for an egg turner - that is huge! I do like the digital functionality though and it gets rave reviews on BYC....

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

You have to turn the eggs 2-3 times a day. I would reccomend a forced air incubator that way the tempature in the incubator is the same all the way around. But with still air, the tempature is different in different spots (because there is no fan to circulate the air) and could potentially cook the eggs. Like I said, you can make an egg turner yourself (It is so worth it) without having to manually flip each individual egg over. All you need is a PVC pipe and an egg carton. Be sure your eggs are in the turner with pointy end down. I will try to get you some pictures of my incubator later today.

Here is a little drawing I drew up for you:

This is how I am going to turn my eggs. Just flip the egg carton 90 degrees to the left or the right (as shown in my picture).

 

[elevan]

Thanks for the graphic Sunny!

I found out that the Brinsea is a forced air incubator.

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Thanks for the graphic Sunny!

I found out that the Brinsea is a forced air incubator.

Great! http://cmfarm.us/stillair.html There is a link on still air incubators in case you want to check it out.

 

[elevan]

Thanks.

You know what's funny is that we have one of those 500 Confederate Notes that they have as their background image. My grandparents used to own a really old house in what is known as Quaker town locally around here. It was a stop on the underground railroad. There was a "hanging tree" in the front yard where the slave masters would hang slaves that they caught there. There were also false floors throughout the house (great hiding places for kids playing hide and seek in my day) where the Quakers who lived there used to hide the slaves. My mom found that 500 note in one of the false floors. It was a fascinating old house and really unfortunate that it was torn down in the early 1990s. (Off topic but I thought that I'd share).

 

[elevan]

The chickens are a little upset with me. It's -4* with windchill here and I kept them in the coop.

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

I thought I would show you some pictures of my homemade incubator.

My thermometer (left) and hygrometer (right).

Top of my incubator. I used foam insulation to keep the heat in.

My old woodstove fan.

The shelf which my eggs will sit on inside of their egg turners. I orginally had cut 2x4's to hold the shelf up but it absorbed the water and ended up growing bacteria. So now I use a couple small flower pots, and plastic drinking cups.

The funnel where I pour water into to help increase my humidity. It has a tube I attached to it which leads to the bottom of the incubator.

The bottom of my egg turner. Notice I cut holes in the bottom of my carton. I did that because I thought it may help with air flow. Not sure if it makes much of a difference though.

Happy Hatching!