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luke1989
Hatchling
United Kingdom
173 Posts |
 Posted - 16/06/2010 : 22:16:43
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hi, i have made an incubator out of a poly box, same as the one described on a thread on here.
question is can someone tell me EXACTLY what i need to do in terms of what to put eggs in, how to keep them moist enough, humidity tips. all of it basically in simple terms, thanks.  |
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mikerichards
don't say the 'M' word!
United Kingdom
2901 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2010 : 11:11:25
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yep.
Put the heatmat inside the poly box, on the bottom, doesnt matter if its up the sides a bit. you can make yourself a hold in the box so the wires can get in. Ontop of the heatmat, you can use pretty much anything, i used kitchen rolls cut into 1/4s to rest the egg box on that, but you can put sticks through the side, us mesh, whatever as long as it has the desired effect!
The egg box should be sealed, no air holes. inside that half fill with vermiculite, i will go into verm prep in a mo. once that done, place the egg box on the platform of your choice and have the thermostat and thermometer probes either taped or rubber banded together, never just leave them on the heat mat, the temps will not get up to what you want for the eggs.
You can make a hole in the egg box and have the probes in with the eggs, but you dont need to, none of my egg boxes have holes in, and i have lost only 12 eggs out of a current 98 (4 infertile tho)
Preparing the vermiculite, its very easy, get a bowl of vermiculite, roughly the amount you want to use.
Fill with water up to the same level as the vermiculite, you can use warm water if you wish to speed up the temp acclimitisation.
grab a handful of verm, squeeze the water out of it, once you get no drips from it, put it in the egg box, repeat until its the required depth.
Put your eggs in the egg box and you are away! 55 days at 27.5 c.
I stronly advise you use a pulse or dimmer stat for an incubator, and you will 100% need a digital thermometer.
the reason for the dimmer/pulse is because they are capable of holding far more steady temperatures than the mat stat.
Good Luck |
Location : Worthing, West Sussex
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luke1989
Hatchling
United Kingdom
173 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2010 : 18:51:39
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brilliant, one more thing, how high does the egg box need to be over the heat mat.
perfect answer just what i needed. |
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Mouse
Yearling
United Kingdom
958 Posts |
Posted - 20/06/2010 : 11:20:33
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| not too high. I have my boxes on a cake cooling rack (on top of the heatmat!) some people use trays, mike uses toilet rolls cut in half. :D |
 
1.0.0 - Gobo - Snow Corn (RIP)
0.1.0 - Sprockett - Normal/hypo/het snow Corn
2.0.0 Anery Hatchlings
0.1.0 Amel Hatchling
0.1.0 Normal Hatchling
*Location - Southampton, UK*
http://www.weneedcake.co.uk |
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mikerichards
don't say the 'M' word!
United Kingdom
2901 Posts |
Posted - 20/06/2010 : 18:20:49
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| couple of inches really, it doesnt really matter as the temps will be balanced out through the incubator. |
Location : Worthing, West Sussex
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incubating advice needed.
