I am no stranger to hatching (those of you who know me from BYC will know my User Title reads 'hatchaholic') and we are now right in the middle of hatching season here on the farm. Each year I hatch out chicks, ducklings, goslings, keets, etc to add to my flocks and work on improving the breeds I keep and this year is no different. However, this year I did step it up a notch. I used to own three incubators. Two were LGs, and I did not like them and used them only when I had to. One was dubbed "The Murder Box" because it seemingly killed anything you put in it. Still, it made a serviceable hatcher, and it was sentenced to that use for the rest of its life. My third incubator was a Brinsea 20 Eco, which I love. The only problem was its small (for me, at least) capacity. Without the rails in I could manage to stuff it full of 25-30 eggs at a time, but I needed room for more. So with this year's tax return, I got myself a present. A Brinsea 40 Eco, the bigger version of my little Brinsea 20 Eco. I got it up and running, made sure the temperature was good, and waited for everything to stabilize. And then I promptly filled it. To my delight even with some of the eggs being large welsh harlequins eggs without the rails I was able to fit in 54 eggs. And so the hatching was on. In due time I had a flood of chicks, keets, and ducklings. And ever since filling it up the first time, I haven't been able to unfill it. Eggs just keep going in. Some of my own and some from other breeders. I keep thinking I'm done but then I run across a good deal, or go to a Chickenstock and win eggs, or win eggs for a low price in an auction, and before I know it, the incubator is full again.
This weekend I should be expecting some chicks, poults, and ducklings. And wouldn't you know but as soon as I locked down that batch of eggs tonight another was waiting in the wings to take their place. What can I say? My user title isn't 'Hatchoholic' for nothing!
2 Comments
Steve
11/8/2016 12:18:09 pm
What are those little gauges with wires you have going into your OCT 40 ECO? I have an OCT 20 myself...
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AuthorI'm the owner of Pyxis Poultry, and you may know me as Pyxis on BYC. I've been keeping various species of poultry for over eight years. Archives
February 2017
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