Author Topic: Incubators  (Read 7340 times)

Jess

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Incubators
« on: January 11, 2011, 08:54:43 PM »
Evening folks,
Well we didn\'t get any snow down is south Mississippi but it is supose to be 23 degrees here tonight.
I have a GQF  incubator, but I ran up on a deal I just couldn\'t pass up today.
I bought a GQF Incubator 1202 with electronic thermostat and a 1250 Hatcher also with a electronic thermostat.
I set them up in the shop and everything works great.
I even got the original Paper work and owners packet, and an extra electronic Thermostat. They have been used very little.The hatcher will hold 6 hatching trays but I only got three with it.
They both have plexie glass doors, which I like so I can see the chicks hatching.
The best part about the deal is the Hatcher cost me $100 and the incubator cost me $150.
So now I have 2 GQF incubators and 1 hatcher, so I guess now i\'m in buisness of hatching me some Ameraucana chicks.
Jess

John

  • Guest
Incubators
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2011, 10:00:09 PM »
Jess,
Those are good prices for clean machines with electronic thermostats.  The newer 1550 and 1502 models would cost about $100 more each.

Beth C

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Incubators
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2011, 09:37:45 AM »
Very jealous! I\'m in the market for a cabinet incubator myself and around here you can\'t touch a working one for under $300. Congrats on an AWESOME deal!

grisaboy

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Incubators
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2011, 02:35:48 PM »
Now you are going to need more brooders.  With all that incubator capacity you will be tempted to keep hatching and hatching and hatching eggs.  You are definitely going to need more brooder space.  

Cloverleaf Farm

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Incubators
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2011, 03:00:05 PM »
Now THAT\'S the truth! I had a cabinet bator last year.  I had 4 brooders going IN my house.  When I got absolutely SICK of the sound of chicks chirping, I decided it was time to sell the cabinet! Luckily I had gotten a good deal on it via CL, and ended up selling it for alot more than I paid. :D

Beth C

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Incubators
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2011, 03:53:06 PM »
Funny you should mention brooders, because I was just going back through old posts looking for ideas and found these:
 
http://www.ameraucana.org/abcforum/index.php?a=topic&t=213

http://www.ameraucana.org/abcforum/index.php?a=topic&t=427

Like I have any business starting yet another project, but I truly NEED a brooder. I am SO over the heat lamp clipped to a Rubbermaid tub!

Cloverleaf Farm

  • Guest
Incubators
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2011, 06:25:10 PM »
wow - John\'s brooders are really neat!  Since I have to have mine in the house, I use rabbit cages - the kind with the 6\" plastic bottom and wire top.  The ones with the big flip up door on top work really nice, because they allow for much more ease of adjustment for the heat lamp.  Once the chicks outgrow them, they move out onto the covered porch into XL dog crates.
And both the rabbit cages and the dog crates are easy to hose out between uses.

Beth C

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Incubators
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2011, 07:01:48 PM »
I have to keep mine in the house/garage too and my greatest concern is fire, which is why I really want to get away from the lamps. It wasn\'t so bad in previous years when I was home most of the time, but now that Fuzz is in school I\'m gone more and just don\'t want to chance it.

Jess

  • Guest
Incubators
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2011, 06:34:49 PM »
Evening,
Well I have got My hatcher and Incubator up and running.
I just locked down my first hatch this afternoon, they should be hatching Sunday if all goes well.
I am using my basement for a hatchery. although it got down to 19 last night, my basement seems to stay between 55 and 60 degrees. here is a shot.
Thanks
Jess

John

  • Guest
Incubators
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2011, 08:27:24 PM »
I\'ve added 1/2\" by 1\" welded wire to partition off my hatch trays.  Holes were drilled into the metal sides and then zip ties were used to fasten the wire to the sides and wire bottoms.  Plastic strips were added to the tops of the wire for protection.  An added benefit is the welded wire helps prevent the 1/4\" hardware cloth bottoms from sagging.  I had wood slats used as partitions before, but I think they cut down on some of the air flow.

Blue Egg Acres

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Incubators
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2011, 12:12:48 PM »
John, where do you get the plastic strips?


Jess

  • Guest
Incubators
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2011, 09:07:11 PM »
Evening Folks,
I decided I needed some new hatching trays and a couple of setting trays. So instead of ordering them I thought I would try my hand at building them. I have some nice Holly wood that I used in building guitars. It is real stable, it don\'t warp and Humity and heat don\'t bother it. It seems to work real good, I showed it to a friend and he got me to make him another hatching tray for his hatcher. all the money that I have in them is the wire bottoms and a little glue and staples.
Take a look.
Thanks
Jess

Blue Egg Acres

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Incubators
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2011, 09:38:29 PM »
Wow, you make guitars?!
The trays look nice

Beth C

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Incubators
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2011, 10:05:30 PM »
Nice trays! You build guitars? Very cool!