Incubator improvements

This is a simple one, but maybe it will help someone.

I want to bring some new chicks on, and I only have 3 old hens left, and none are broody, so incubating will be the easiest route for me.  I bought a new incubator, and it has good reviews for the most part.  Someone did mention that the surface the chicks hatch onto is slippery and can lead to splayed leg in your chicks.  I considered using cardboard, cutting out a circle the correct size and separating one side so the chicks would hatch onto the corrugated side of the cardboard.  There are a couple drawbacks to that.  I don't want to have to make a new, clean one every time I want to hatch some chicks.  I'm concerned the cardboard could harbor bacteria.  Mostly, I wanted a more permanent solution.

I thought about taking my dremel and a small disk and cutting fine lines into the plastic, but it may be hard to clean effectively if the grooves were too deep, or too narrow.  Finally I decided on simple sand paper.  I tested a couple spots on the bottom unused surface to see how it would work.  I settled on 60 grit for now, but may grab a piece of 40 grit to rough the surface even more.  I think 60 grit will work, but I'm undecided just yet.  The surface is much more "sticky" now and the scratches are shallow enough that it washes up easily.

Here are a couple pictures of the incubator I bought, and the process.  None of this is an endorsement of this brand incubator, or the process i used.  It's just to put it out there for people to take a look at.  If someone has another idea, I would love to see it.

That is a cool idea. I've never run into that problem (and it's been years since I incubated any), but that seems like a really easy solution to a problem. My only concern would be bacteria harboring in the scratches themselves while cleaning even with the size of the scratches. Let us know how it goes.

Matt McSpadden wrote:That is a cool idea. I've never run into that problem (and it's been years since I incubated any), but that seems like a really easy solution to a problem. My only concern would be bacteria harboring in the scratches themselves while cleaning even with the size of the scratches. Let us know how it goes.

I don't think the scratches are deep enough for that, but I may be wrong.  If I need to, I can clean with a dilute bleach solution.  I'm also not sure the surface is rough enough, although I'm hoping it gives enough purchase for tiny claws.  I find out in a few weeks hopefully.  I pick up a dozen Russian Orloff eggs on Saturday.

I bought 12 Russian Orloff eggs for the incubator. The people I got them from were kind enough to give me 2 extras. I put the extra two in my old incubator, but it doesn't have an egg turner so we're are turning them by hand several times a day. I candled all 14 eggs today and all are alive and growing. I'm very excited to see if I can get all of them to the hatching stage. I was hoping for fifty percent on my first try, so this is going much better than I expected.

Hi Trace,
I hope you have 100% survival... but there is that old saying. Something about counting and hatching... :)

Matt McSpadden wrote:Hi Trace,
I hope you have 100% survival... but there is that old saying. Something about counting and hatching... :)

I candled again yesterday and so far, all are alive and well.  Another week and I should have some new baby peepers :)