incubators

[naughtyneophema]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question on still air incubators,

Has anyone used them and what was your hatch rate?

In desperation due to my princess parrot being way too broody, she lays an egg and then wants to sit on it straight away and then about ten days later she gets board and lays another and pushes the last one away, which is driving me mad as the eggs were fertile and I have no other hens to foster too atm.

So I am pulling the eggs now as she lays them and I am getting an egg every second day.

I have made my own homemade still air incubator which the temp stays around a constant 37.7c. with humidity about 55-60%

I have an old computer and was thinking of stripping out the fan for the incubator. I'm not sure if I should or not as the temp remains constant and I am unsure about vibrations etc.

Plus I already have three eggs in there atm but I could make another one to transfer them.

Any advice on homemade incubators or still air incubators is appreciated.

Cheers!

[Jack]

I'm not to familiar with incubators but we made one out of an old electric frying pan. We used sand on the bottom, always monitored the temp and placed a dish of water for humidity. We turned them twice a day and my little chickens hatched out fine

[avinet]

The purpose of a fan is to ensure an even temperature in the incubator - and ensure the temperature of the eggs is the same as the temperature at the thermometer. Presumably you have your thermostat probe and the thermometer close to the eggs so you have the eggs at the 37.7°C temperature you are aiming for.

I would be cautious of adding a computer fan - vibration is a real problem and commercial incubators go to considerable lengths to ensure their fans don't cause any vibration.

cheers,

Mike

PS - I don't personally incubate - if I have needed to get eggs incubated in the past I've had friends with incubators running I could pass eggs onto or else had foster parents available. Mind you that might change if my Greys start laying - I have serious doubts the hen has enough patience to sit on eggs in a nest box for 3 or 4 weeks

[naughtyneophema]

Thanks for the replies been hectic here!

Hi Jack, not sure about frying them
I have incubated many chicken eggs from just a light bulb and no thermostat when I was a kid, I always got chicks too. Pretty hardy imo.

Cheers Mike,

I had a bator with a fan but I hadn't used it for a few years and when I got it out the temp must have been stuffed because it kept over heating.

I have not had a need to incubate eggs for some time either but this hen is too broody on the first egg and then gives up around day ten. I have ordered a new incubator but it wont arrive for some time. Hence the desperation.

I have decided that putting a fan in the home made one is too risky at this stage, due to vibrations, so I am making do with the still air.

I have my thermostat close but not touching the eggs and am reaching a constant temp.

I was reading an article from Priam which says;

It is my opinion that incubation success will be 50% due to machine design and 50% due to
management skill

• Temperature Management 20%
• Humidity Management 10%
• Egg Turning Management 60%
• Hygiene Management 5%
• Airflow Management 5

www.parrotbreeding.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Incubation-Guide-2007.pdf

So I am hoping my management skills are up to par! and my homemade incubator design is ok too

I'm also curious to see if my Princess hen will lay a string of eggs just lay a clutch and be done with it?

I put a fake egg in there on the weekend but it didn't fool her.

[Robyn]

What is the history of you Princess Parrots they are usually good parents.

Think the humidity is a little to high. I incubate on 37C. Humidity 35-45%RH. Then raise the humidity levels at hatch to 65%RH.

What incubator have you ordered & are you prepared to hand rear these babies from hatch.

[naughtyneophema]

She laid only 3 eggs last year and 2 hatched.
This year she is far more broody and hardly leaves the nest box.
At the start of this season she laid 3 eggs all 10 days apart, until I started pulling the eggs as laid.

I have ordered a Bellsouth 100 from the local livestock store arrived today! Not the one I would have liked but the only one they could get in and I've got to stay within my bird budget.

I've put an order in with Santa too

I have brooders set up for some chicks I am pulling soon from other birds.
I would much prefer the birds to do it and me to take over towards the end, only if someone wants a handraised bird that is.
There is no way I would spend so much time and concern looking after eggs, to not look after the chicks that hatch.

I have handraised many chicks from 1 day up and even have had budgies foster other parrots eggs until pipping stage but have very limited experience with using a incubator.

I am trying to read all I can and any advice I can get.

Cheers