The Infamous Ballchick Incubator!

I have seen them used often for BP's, but I just wanted a little confirmation that they are truly safe enough to do the job. Yep, I'm talking about chicken incubators for a BP clutch.

And should a "tub" or tupperware container be used within the chicken incubator including the vermiculite, or is using no container and laying them directly in the chicken incubator just fine?

One that looks a lot like...

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/LeviBP/ci2.gif

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/LeviBP/ci.jpg

Why not just use a polybox with heat mat & stat..I simply place a heat mat on the bottom of the box, push dowels through to form a platform 100mm above & set in my tub controled with a pulse stat..works great ..does the same job

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruceweb

Why not just use a polybox with heat mat & stat..I simply place a heat mat on the bottom of the box, push dowels through to form a platform 100mm above & set in my tub controled with a pulse stat..works great ..does the same job

---

Sweeet, thanks for the input :D

some chicken incubators have an egg turning function... :O

I hatched 26 milk snake eggs in a Hovabator this season with no problems. You definitely want to have the eggs inside some sort of container inside the incubator, because you have to put water in the bottom of it for humidity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hulihzack

I hatched 26 milk snake eggs in a Hovabator this season with no problems. You definitely want to have the eggs inside some sort of container inside the incubator, because you have to put water in the bottom of it for humidity.

---

Ahh okay

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kitedemon

some chicken incubators have an egg turning function... :O

---

The only egg turning function on mine is manual :D

I used the excact same one last season. it worked for 1 clutch since I only used it for the heat. I used a 6 quart(maybe smaller) container and had the eggs in that with vermiculite and a closed lid. Worked realy well.

This year I'm in the works of building a incubator from a wine cooler.. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Subdriven

I used the excact same one last season. it worked for 1 clutch since I only used it for the heat. I used a 6 quart(maybe smaller) container and had the eggs in that with vermiculite and a closed lid. Worked realy well.

This year I'm in the works of building a incubator from a wine cooler.. :)

---

Haha that sounds pretty sick. I guess all I need to pick up is some vermiculite and a 6qt :D

In the container, should I poke holes in the top, or just open it every couple days to let fresh air in?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LeviBP

Haha that sounds pretty sick. I guess all I need to pick up is some vermiculite and a 6qt :D

In the container, should I poke holes in the top, or just open it every couple days to let fresh air in?

---

from my understanding you don't need holes. it will get enough fresh air each time you open the container.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Xan Powers!

I wouldn't trust one..I've heard far to many horror stories to trust my baby snakes to them..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xan Powers

from my understanding you don't need holes. it will get enough fresh air each time you open the container.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Xan Powers!

---

Ahh okay, I've heard both but just wanted to hear it from someone that has actually been there :D
Thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LeviBP

Haha that sounds pretty sick. I guess all I need to pick up is some vermiculite and a 6qt :D

In the container, should I poke holes in the top, or just open it every couple days to let fresh air in?

---

I put a few small holes in mine. It worked, but it was my first clutch and it was so hard not to open it up all the time to see how they were doing.. lol so they got enough air.

I put a tub with vermiculite ( damp just enough so no water drips out when you squeeze it) and put the eggs in the tub. closed it and put it on the floor ( no grate or plastic thingy) in the middle of the incubator. had a digital thermistat/hydometer stuck to the inside wall and was set. opened it every few days to get some fresh air, never had to add water.

bake at 89-90 degrees and pop open in 58 days when done.

Yeah, I heard about people using grates. I wonder if there is a down turn to using them, since they stop the egg from soaking to much is the verm. is over watered. I'd be worried about putting the grate to high/low in the vermiculite xD

I use it back in the day, for Leopard Geckos and Bearded Dragons. Worked fine for them, but never used it for BP's. I just built an incubator out of a small Pepsi fridge.

All of my first Leopard Gecko and Ball Python clutches were from a Hovabator. I hatched out the first Crystal Ball out of a Hovabator. I would set the temp with the wafer, then I would hook up a cheap thermostat that would shut off the power at 93. I would then get two good size tubs so I could have 2 cluthces maximum in each Hovabator. Even when I had a Natures Spirit Incubator (took a bunch of tweaking to get even temps), I would still put the Crystal clutches in the Hovabators since I had used them for years and trusted them. You should do fine!
Now I have converted a closet into an incubator and it works great!