Got a BIG bator, NEED some input :)

Well big to me, it is a homemade one from a friends inlaws basement, they didn't use it but someone did. It was full of egg shells so it must have worked well at some point.

It has 3 shelves for autoturners and a hatching tray in the bottom, one turner is missing (I am going to buy a new one). It has a false back with 2 100w bulbs, a BIG fan at the top and a proper wafer thermostat(I replaced the wafer).

The temperature ranges from 99.4 to 100.4 at the front of the turners and 100.4 to 101.4 at the back. It this acceptable ?

I will post pics this afternoon if I have time, it is a really well built unit.

All i can suggest is that you fill it LOL

Haha! I second that. FILL IT! Oh how exciting. I cant wait for the day DH will agree to a big bator. Good luck,

Jaclyn

LOL, Hubby didn't agree He came home to it!

I am pretty excited to fill it I think I will use my old one as a hatcher and then I could put 4 turners in this one

I agree, the best information we can give you is to fill it! And of course quite a few of us on here would love to help you out in the egg department.
I am sending you some Buff Orp eggs next Monday, what else are you going to put in?

I also have a pre-owned bator, but it needed some tweaking to get it working well. It now works like a charm! But I was glad I didn't try it out with any expensive eggs. I ran a test batch through first, and had dismal results...only 6 chicks out of about 2 dozen eggs - pretty disappointing. Once I got the bugs worked out - resealed the door, got a better thermometer etc, it has been awesome. So my advice would be to start with a batch of eggs that are not too valuable in case they don't do well on the first try.
Oh, CONGRATULATIONS!! And Good luck!

Not all my breed have been seperate long enough yet so I am going to use all those eggs to test. In fact I just out 32 in


Chickeesmom- those eggs are going in friends sportsman while I test run this baby with every egg my birds lay . I have Blue Orpingtons, Cuckoo marans and Polish coming too.

Hey Amy, see my above post, it was intended for here.

17 out of 22 hatched in my 'test' batch 2 of the shipped eggs didn't pip and one of my own did rather early ans I must have missed it candling. 1 of 2 duck eggs hatched, a female welsh harlequin, I don't think my humidity was quite high enough for the duck eggs

pretty decent hatch id say! sounds like it works just fine!

Congrats! That's a great hatch!