1st time using an incubator! where to keep it??

CherokeeRose

CherokeeRose

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Hi there, newbie to this forum. I have kept chickens before, previously bought fertilised eggs and let a hen hatch them, however this time I'm going to try and hatch my own using a homemade incubator.

I have never used an incubator before however have gathered all the necessary materials and followed an online tutorial of how to make one.

My mum is scared of birds and does not like chickens, so keeping the incubator in the house while they hatch is going to be a problem. I have horses that I keep at home so plenty of land, what I'm wondering is, would it be ok for me to put the incubator in my secure tack room to let them hatch or would it be too cold out there? Would I be better having it in the house?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated! :)
 
Hi Cherokee Rose, and a big welcome to the Forum!
What's the temperature like in the tack room? So long as it doesn't drop too low at night it should be OK at this time of year. The main problem is if the temperature fluctuates between day and night, rather than if it isn't warm enough. You can play about with the settings until you get it warm enough, it's just whether it will hold the temperature if the ambient temperature falls or rises. If the tack room gets hot in the day time and cold at night, you might need to think about how to keep things more equal, but if you can place the incubator out of direct sunlight, and avoid draughts when the door is opened, it should be at least as good as indoors. Humidity in Scotland should be OK, not too dry. You will of course need to test it out carefully for several days before setting eggs, and take temperature readings am and pm to see how stable (ha ha!) you can keep things.
Of course you may find your mum gets just as fascinated as anyone else once they do actually start to hatch, and so long as they are in the incubator I can't really see what the problem could be with a few newborn chicks. Well done for setting up your own incubator - there was another thread on the forum earlier this year from someone else who did this, with lots of advice from other people, you might like to do a search for. Do keep in touch and let us know how things go - we're all suckers for a good soap opera, cliffhangers and all, on here!
Presumably your brooder would be in the tack room? No problems there, apart from setting up a suitable box and providing an electric hen or heat lamp.
 
Hello, thank you!

The tack room doesn't have any heating and the temperature could probably change quite dramatically so probably a better idea to keep them in the house somewhere!

If any chicks hatch then I was planning on moving them out into a stable where I can set up a secure area (I have a few unused rabbit hutches) with a heat lamp to keep them warm.

I will of course keep everyone informed, no doubt I will be asking lots of questions!!
 
Hi, just a quick reply. I always have my incubator in the lounge at home, coz i like to watch everything happen. I hatch my own eggs, so in this case i know that the fertility should be good. Afew months ago i had to put it in my tack room as i had students to stay and thought it best to move it. I had a terrible hatch, i can only put it down to the temperatuyre fluctuating so much.
 
I do all my hatching in a tack room. Works well.
 
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