Egg Incubator

[Guest geordiejen]

has anyone any info on using one of these?the reason why im thinking on one is some of the fancy breeds i keep dont sit eggs very well.ive also wasted sitters with eggs that werent full.if i get half dozen eggs then mark them from which pair they came off and incubate them when i have a couple of pairs of sitters ready.that way i can have more eggs incubated and can see whats good or empty without wasting time with sitters and dud eggs.pretty sure a pair of racers could bring on 3 youngsters with a little helping hand from me.does anyone know what temperature the eggs need to be?also is ther any home made incubators?

[JohnQuinn]

Willie Wilson the Legend from Larkhall was the first i ever heard about using an incubator. When sending his birds to the distance races he kept their eggs in it, protecting the progeny of his winners.

[Wiley]

Gevaert Van Schoorisse also does this

[Novice]

There is a slight difference between the incubation temp of a pigeon and that of a chicken I am almost certain. Without the appropriate book I am not sure. I will try to locate it tomorrow.

Hatchability in an incubator is not as good as a natural hatch. I think it is difficult to get the humidity correct.

It would be best to look for a used on on ebay or similar and get one which turns the eggs automatically.

[Guest stb-]

There is a slight difference between the incubation temp of a pigeon and that of a chicken I am almost certain. Without the appropriate book I am not sure. I will try to locate it tomorrow.

Hatchability in an incubator is not as good as a natural hatch. I think it is difficult to get the humidity correct.

It would be best to look for a used on on ebay or similar and get one which turns the eggs automatically.

robert your best with the humidity control incubator the heat only one is not as succesfull

[Novice]

The one I had used 2 troughs which you filled with water. Only 1 full most of the time and both full for the last 3 days. When hatching bamtams eggs my grandfather used to put the egg in his mouth daily just before hatching to moisten the shell.

[walterboswell59]

isometimes use one imade myself a small wooden box about a foot square i use perspect lid drill a hole in middle of lid to fit a household light socket fit a 15 watt bulb then drill a small hole about 1 inch from top of box on two sides for air vents a bit smaller than a pencil put some sawdust 1 inch deep in bottom and a small lid off a bottle lemonade in corner with a little water cant remember what temp should be but as long as you turn the eggs every day should hatch about 19 days if it takes longer plug one hole if less than 17 days drill another hole between 17 and 21 days is ok check eggs are full at 3 days 4 at most hold each egg up to a light bulb if you cant see veins of blood bin them there empty your problem is trying to have your feeders with in 2 or 3 days to foster them ifound if your feeders do not have soft food you can feed the chicks bye crushing up cornflakes into powder a spot of milk and luke warm water and mix into a thin paste you can sringe them for a few days i found it to much hassle so just use it to keep eggs and yb warm if i send pair to race hope this info helps you good luck m8

[andy Burgess]

isometimes use one imade myself a small wooden box about a foot square i use perspect lid drill a hole in middle of lid to fit a household light socket fit a 15 watt bulb then drill a small hole about 1 inch from top of box on two sides for air vents a bit smaller than a pencil put some sawdust 1 inch deep in bottom and a small lid off a bottle lemonade in corner with a little water cant remember what temp should be but as long as you turn the eggs every day should hatch about 19 days if it takes longer plug one hole if less than 17 days drill another hole between 17 and 21 days is ok check eggs are full at 3 days 4 at most hold each egg up to a light bulb if you cant see veins of blood bin them there empty your problem is trying to have your feeders with in 2 or 3 days to foster them ifound if your feeders do not have soft food you can feed the chicks bye crushing up cornflakes into powder a spot of milk and luke warm water and mix into a thin paste you can sringe them for a few days i found it to much hassle so just use it to keep eggs and yb warm if i send pair to race hope this info helps you good luck m8

interesting post Walter

[walterboswell59]

interesting post Walter

worked for me andy

[andy Burgess]

worked for me andy

keep the storys coming pal , ive still a lot to learn

[Guest geordiejen]

dont think i would try rearing them from newborn,i will have a go anyway see how it works out.plenty of d.i.y methods on youtube but if i can pic a proper one up second hand i will.

[walterboswell59]

dont think i would try rearing them from newborn,i will have a go anyway see how it works out.plenty of d.i.y methods on youtube but if i can pic a proper one up second hand i will.

i didnt ethere george the cornflakes was just a wee tip if your feeders were a day or two out trial and error m8 you get good info from books on poultry bantam breeding

[walterboswell59]

There is a slight difference between the incubation temp of a pigeon and that of a chicken I am almost certain. Without the appropriate book I am not sure. I will try to locate it tomorrow.

Hatchability in an incubator is not as good as a natural hatch. I think it is difficult to get the humidity correct.

It would be best to look for a used on on ebay or similar and get one which turns the eggs automatically.

poultry eggs hatch 21 days to pigeons 19 not much gallowway and mccleod in stonehouse sell a small one for six eggs think it was 99 pounds

[walterboswell59]

dont think i would try rearing them from newborn,i will have a go anyway see how it works out.plenty of d.i.y methods on youtube but if i can pic a proper one up second hand i will.

ok andy heres one for you after spending a fortune on a few stock pairs from louella i filled my loft with the yb off them i had the biggest yb team ive ever had they had 30 tosses to 40 miles before the first yb race i had 83 out of 86 bred it was friday and i had taken my baskets to the front of my loft to basket for otterburn our first yb race as i looked into the loft at my team i thought to my self 83 super bred super trained and super condition how the hell do i pick a pooler out of them as the club i was in at that time was flying for over 250 pounds a week of which i was taking 12 and 13 hundred pounds a season with a very small team of pigeons and was getting a name as a guy who could set up and pick a pigeon in which i took great pride in but 83 was new ball game i handeld them all but they were all in great order i came out the loft and did not have a clue i llbasket them and see if one of them tells me i laughed as i went back into the loft all the birds were on perches and a cheq cock 49 dropped down on the floor so i picked him up first opened the slideing door and put him in the basket the cock ran into the corner of the basket and started cooing sitting way down low as if in a nestbowl and he was peeking threw the door which wasonly open about five inches as i watched him a cheq pied hen dropped on the floor with her tail down the cock was cooing like mad thats my pooler i said but i will pool the hen to filled out my pool sheet cheq cock 49 all pools nom and accumulater cheq pied hen all pools with money on another few and off they went to the race there were six hundred birds in club 3500 in west sect 8600 open sat and there up a cracking day light south west and sunshine i was looking east to wards hamilton race when i saw a pied coming on its own it was the wee hen that droped on floor first one of 83 a pooler i cant be far away i thought as the hen shut her wings and droped the cheq cock came out the south over the house hit the board and in the hen timed five seconds after him i could not believe my luck i was 1st and 2nd club 1st and2nd west sect 6th and 8 th open taking all the pools and accu in club and was allso 3rd and 4 th man what a race that was i was on cloud nine and only droped one

[walterboswell59]

ok andy heres one for you after spending a fortune on a few stock pairs from louella i filled my loft with the yb off them i had the biggest yb team ive ever had they had 30 tosses to 40 miles before the first yb race i had 83 out of 86 bred it was friday and i had taken my baskets to the front of my loft to basket for otterburn our first yb race as i looked into the loft at my team i thought to my self 83 super bred super trained and super condition how the hell do i pick a pooler out of them as the club i was in at that time was flying for over 250 pounds a week of which i was taking 12 and 13 hundred pounds a season with a very small team of pigeons and was getting a name as a guy who could set up and pick a pigeon in which i took great pride in but 83 was new ball game i handeld them all but they were all in great order i came out the loft and did not have a clue i llbasket them and see if one of them tells me i laughed as i went back into the loft all the birds were on perches and a cheq cock 49 dropped down on the floor so i picked him up first opened the slideing door and put him in the basket the cock ran into the corner of the basket and started cooing sitting way down low as if in a nestbowl and he was peeking threw the door which wasonly open about five inches as i watched him a cheq pied hen dropped on the floor with her tail down the cock was cooing like mad thats my pooler i said but i will pool the hen to filled out my pool sheet cheq cock 49 all pools nom and accumulater cheq pied hen all pools with money on another few and off they went to the race there were six hundred birds in club 3500 in west sect 8600 open sat and there up a cracking day light south west and sunshine i was looking east to wards hamilton race when i saw a pied coming on its own it was the wee hen that droped on floor first one of 83 a pooler i cant be far away i thought as the hen shut her wings and droped the cheq cock came out the south over the house hit the board and in the hen timed five seconds after him i could not believe my luck i was 1st and 2nd club 1st and2nd west sect 6th and 8 th open taking all the pools and accu in club and was allso 3rd and 4 th man what a race that was i was on cloud nine and only droped one

ops sorry should have been reply to andy burgess

[andy Burgess]

ops sorry should have been reply to andy burgess

i realised that as i was reading Walter ,another great story .i like the fact you waited for them to "pick themselves" by showing you who was on form or keenest .

[walterboswell59]

i realised that as i was reading Walter ,another great story .i like the fact you waited for them to "pick themselves" by showing you who was on form or keenest .

allthou i kid my birds i put that one down to luck with observation if i dont see something happening i kid them to make something happen making them jelous is my tool of choice m8

[Guest Owen]

Incubators are nowhere near as good as parents when it comes to rearing youngsters. They are fine for poultry and parrots but they are not good enough for racing pigeons. I can see that they might suite people who breed fancy pigeons and they may be fine to keep eggs warm while birds are training or racing but parents are definitely better at incubating eggs that are supposed to produce quality youngsters for racing. In any case there is nothing difficult about rearing pigeons so why would anybody want to mess about with something like this.