Happy New Year All! OK, I've just about completed my homemade incubator and am only waiting for my thermometer/hygrometer from Randall Burkey Online. The order description for the Thermo/Hyrgo says that it comes with some cotton strips that I am to slide onto the tip of the therm to make it a hygrom. It also indicates I should place the tip covered in the cotton strip inside a small bottle for humidity measurement. Problem is I need mo better instruction than that! For instance: 1)how large/small should the bottle be? should the bottle be full to the top? 2)how far do I immerse it? 3)where in the incubator should I put it? I am realistic and know that chances are I won't have an incredibly high hatch percentage my first time out. However, I would like to have a some yield for all the special attention which will be necessary for 21 days.

-- David Valliant (dhvalliant@yahoo.com), January 01, 2002

Answers

Hi David. We use a different meter for humidity readings, so I can't help. Just thought I would tell you good luck on the hatch. I bought my meter at radio shack and it does both temp and humidity. It does not need a cloth, but it may not be as acurate as yours. Either way, I still had a great hatch from my own chicken eggs. If you get shipped eggs, then the numbers go down, or if they are not fresh. The older the eggs the lower the hatch. (I'm talking three, four weeks... mine were two weeks and did fine) I put the meter down at egg level if possible. That way you can see the temp and humidty they are getting. Higher up and you may get a warmer reading, or something. Hatching your own birds is a fantastic way to (eventually)save money and have as many birds as you want. Just remember the three turns a day and to turn the humidity up a tad at the end. Not much, just enough that the inside does not dry to the chick. After a couple of hatches you will figure out how your incubator works and have some experience. Try to note what the chicks look like if they do not hatch. ARe they fully formed? Are they too wet? (high humidity) are they wrapped tight in egg sack? etc. You can find spots on the web that will troubleshoot your hatch problems. Open suspect eggs outside if they are oozing, etc. CAREFUL that they do not explode and get a nasty smell all over everything. (gases build up in a rotten egg and they do explode..YUCK) GOOD LUCK!!

-- notnow (notnow@blabla.com), January 04, 2002.