My new hatching trays

[Cindi]

Well, here we go again. I mention that I need something built, tell what I might like to have it look like, the purpose, and lo and behold, there it is.....it seems like things just magically appear around here.  I have a very special Husband, who loves to make my life easier, to invent and build, I am a pretty lucky woman.

We have been very involved in getting our incubator, a sportsman model 1502 hatching eggs.  It has three racks, with three trays in each rack, each tray holding about 2 dozen eggs.  When all is said and done that incubator can hold about (hold on, godda do some math, OK, six dozen eggs per rack, three racks, good).  18 dozen eggs.  Now I cannot multiply two digit numbers very well.  But I think that there may be over 100 eggs in there, smiling.

We are hatching today sometime, probably after 4:00 PM, that is when we set the eggs, 21 days ago.

We have candled twice and removed a total of 18 bad eggs.

Rats, where was I?  Right, I was only talking about the hatching trays. 

The hatching trays fit on the bottom of the incubator, they are close to the width of the incubator and depth.  There is two tiers to the hatching tray.  I can see into the hatching tray somewhat because he has built mesh along the front to peak.  The eggs on the top tray are totally visible.  The top tray is no a permanent part, it is just a shim, like the one that I use on the beehives to create a space for placing extra food for the bees.  It is held on by an elastic band that is attached to a screw on the side of the bottom tray and its side.  The bottom of that tray is hardware cloth.

Have a gander at the pictures, these trays are cool, and air flows throughout.  Hoping that we have good results with this hatch.  I have learned alot over the past couple of months, and hope that things go as well as I am hoping that they do.  Beautiful days to love and live, to live and share, and the best of all, great health and strength.  Cindi

[Jerrymac]

24 per rack
3 racks
72 eggs

[dpence]

That's pretty cool Cindi.  I am hatching the old fashion way...using a hen...LOL.  Still learning too.  The old hen moved on me, so I put her in a small coop by herself with a nest box.  She is doing fine.   We'll see if this batch works.  Last batch were "Halloween eggs"   Anyway good luck with the incubator setup.

David

[Scadsobees]

24 per rack
3 racks
72 eggs

Nope...

24 per tray
3 trays per rack
3 racks
= 216 eggs

I spent hours on 6th grade math recently with my daughter and there are a LOT of tricky story problems. :roll:

Anyway....why do you have your hatcher..um...I mean incubator on top of a beehive?  Hatching bee eggs? :-D

[Robo]

It has three racks, with three trays in each rack, each tray holding about 2 dozen eggs. 

3 Racks x 3 Trays x 24 eggs =  216 eggs


That's a little bit over 100 :-P

Looks like Scads beat me, but at least we came up with the same number :-D

[Jerrymac]

OK get off my back. I missed the three trays per rack part  :-D

[Cindi]

Oh no, it was me that made the mistake!!!  The reason I was saying around a 100 is:

Only two racks were put in, I didn't put the third rack in because I was going to get a bunch of polish, jersey giant, araucana and golden laced wyandotte from my girlfriend.  Forgot that I didn't put that third rack in......until a few days ago, smiling.  They will hatch in about 2 weeks.

So.....

There are

2 racks (with three trays that hold about 24 eggs per tray)

Now what do the numbers come up to?

Oh right, there were about 18 eggs non-fertile or that had not developed that we removed through two candling events.

Now how many eggs?  Am I buggin' ya yet? 

Rick, that picture of that apparatus is where I put the eggs on the third day before the hatch.  The eggs were still in the incubator, turning automatically 6 times a day or so.  It has an automatic turner.   The eggs should not be turned during the last three days of incubation.  The incubator is in the shed behind the bee box. I put the hatching tray on the bee box to get a good picture of it outside.  Inside light sucks when pictures are taken.   Smiling.....beautiful days to love and enjoy, our life, great health to us all.  Cindi

This is the incubator that I am using, the first picture is of one of the racks, that holds three trays



This is the incubator that can hold three racks, but only has two racks in it, these are hatching today as we speak, smiling.

[Scadsobees]

Looks like fun and a lot of chickens!!  I'm jealous....

[poka-bee]

Oh My! Cindi, that is a whole lotta chix!  Mine are all grown now & integrated w/the old girls.  They are still "teens" & smaller but holding their own.  I'm still selling 7 of the EE's, thought I heard someone sickly trying to crow this am so may have a roo. You know that one that looked weird? Well, you can't tell it apart from the other marans now, go figure! You are very lucky to have a builder to make things for you! J

[Cindi]

Ah Jody, that sickly crow, hee, hee, I love to hear those little dudes the first time they give their voice a whirl, and yes, it is a rather sickly half crow sound, know what ya mean.  It doesn't take too many times of practice to get to sound like the big dudes though.  Funny things. 

What, that stinkin' little weird chick didn't turn out to be a turkey eh?  I am so surprised, surely thought it looked like a poult.  Well, that is good, a maran is better for many reasons, smiling.  Did I tell you I got rid of my turkeys?  Can't remember if I made a post about it or not.  Actually don't miss them one little bit.  When we are set up properly I will get them again for food stuff.  Beautiful days in our great lives, health.  Cindi