Incubator

I'm just wondering if anybody uses, or has used these Hovabators before. They seem pretty inexpensive so I have my doubts.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_...bators_33.html

I made my own incubator using a polystyrene box with a heatstrip hooked up to a pulse proportional thermostat all i paid for was the t stat, the heatstrip was given to me so that was a bonus :) . Ive never had any problems with it and ive been using it now for over 3 years :)

I've thought about making my own, but after all the work that has gone into making my cage, I sorta like the idea of just ordering the incubator, and having it delivered to my house =) $60 would be nice to spend too...

from what I heard the hovabator works pretty good but you still need to use a T-stat to regulate the temp as the hovators regulator isn't that reliable.

But thats all hear say as I've never tried one. I'm thinking i'll build my own and use my herpstat to regulate it. I think I have everything already to build it laying around my house.

Cooler, aquarium submersible heater, container to put vermiculite with clutch.

Here's a thread that talks about whats in use and other options

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=incubator

what are the chances that the female will incubate them properly and they will hatch??? also is this way safe for the eggs and the mother?

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Originally Posted by Het4Something

what are the chances that the female will incubate them properly and they will hatch??? also is this way safe for the eggs and the mother?

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about as good as your skills in maintaining the environment

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Originally Posted by Griggs2121

I'm just wondering if anybody uses, or has used these Hovabators before. They seem pretty inexpensive so I have my doubts.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_...bators_33.html

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Griggs,

Lots of people used that style (wafer) incubator for years when the reptile hobby was starting. Many old timers still do. The proportional thermostats that you can buy today with digital display are easier to setup than the older wafer style thermostats, but as long as you change the wafer in the wafer style thermostat every season and test it first, you should have no issue.

Let me offer one suggestion that that save you a couple bucks..

The incubator that big apple herp sells for $55 (and I assume they charge shipping too) can be picked right up at almost any local farm & grain supply store for $35 to $40. Most Agway stores carry them in stock.

For comparison..

http://www.agwaycatalog.com/catalog/product/16651

Hope that helps,

Rick

How many eggs to the Hova's hold?

Not many, couple clutches depending on the size of the clutches and what you put the eggs in.

Rick

so without an incubator the eggs dont have a shot? even if i use vermiculite as a substrate in the tank?

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

How many eggs to the Hova's hold?

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I had 10 in my hovabator last season, they were in two egg containers though.

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Originally Posted by SiscoReptiles

Griggs,

Lots of people used that style (wafer) incubator for years when the reptile hobby was starting. Many old timers still do. The proportional thermostats that you can buy today with digital display are easier to setup than the older wafer style thermostats, but as long as you change the wafer in the wafer style thermostat every season and test it first, you should have no issue.

Let me offer one suggestion that that save you a couple bucks..

The incubator that big apple herp sells for $55 (and I assume they charge shipping too) can be picked right up at almost any local farm & grain supply store for $35 to $40. Most Agway stores carry them in stock.

For comparison..

http://www.agwaycatalog.com/catalog/product/16651

Hope that helps,

Rick

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Can you give me some more information about this incubator? Its meant for chickens and etc.. And can be bought at farm & grain supplies stores? This is a styrofoam box, with a thermostat on it?

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Originally Posted by Griggs2121

Can you give me some more information about this incubator? Its meant for chickens and etc.. And can be bought at farm & grain supplies stores? This is a styrofoam box, with a thermostat on it?

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I went to my local Southern States farm supply and they had a couple of different brands. It appears that they are all styrofoam boxes with heaters and thermostats. I was supprised, but can see how it makes economic and thermodynamic sense. Chicken eggs incubate at higher temps, so accurate temp control is importent, but after that, as long as it keeps the heat and humidity in, who cares what its made of. I'm sure that there are more expensive types of insulators, and if one wants to pay for them, feel free.

I used the hovabator to hatch beardies and it was fine but I would br worried about BP's. Beardie eggs can vary alot more with temps and humidity. BP eggs are not so forgiving.

Yea, I wonder how to get the humidity to be where we want it

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Originally Posted by Griggs2121

Yea, I wonder how to get the humidity to be where we want it

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water

good call, where to put the water?

Mix the right amount of water in your vermiculite and you'll be good to go.

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Originally Posted by Het4Something

so without an incubator the eggs dont have a shot? even if i use vermiculite as a substrate in the tank?

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Eggs can still hatch successfully without removing them for artificial incubation. One downside to keeping the eggs with the dame snake is that she will not be able to go back on feed until the eggs are hatched, a couple months after laying.

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Originally Posted by Griggs2121

Can you give me some more information about this incubator? Its meant for chickens and etc.. And can be bought at farm & grain supplies stores? This is a styrofoam box, with a thermostat on it?

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The incubator sold as Agway, the one I gave you a picture of, is the same exact incubator Big Apple Herp sells. It does hold heat and humidity fine. I have used it to hatch tegus, balls and corns. It works fine, but is only good for a couple clutches. I still have the one I used years ago and it works fine. I use it for the cornsnakes or misc stuff I hatch since my huge freezer/bator runs temps more appropriate for the balls & tegus.

Rick

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Originally Posted by Het4Something

so without an incubator the eggs dont have a shot? even if i use vermiculite as a substrate in the tank?

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Wrong, the female is more then capable of incubating the eggs. They have been doing it in the wild for many a year, ( and in alot less controlled conditions). All you need to do if you want to let your female incubate the eggs, is give her a nest box,(a rubbermaid tub works good), somthing she can feel safe in and place about 3" of DAMP suphagum moss in the nest box. Keep the temp at about 80 and the humidity at 85-90%. Give her or them that and she can raise and lower the temp and humitity,( just by how tightly coiled she is around them). Then let mothernature do her work. Remeber that BP's are good moms.

Some thoughts on the Hovabator-type (styro) incubators...

1) They work better in a location where temp fluctuations aren't extreme. Keep in mind that styrofoam can only do so much, so if you use one of these incubators it's best to locate it in a spot that isn't subject to extreme temperature fluctuations. Steady, consistent ambient temps are your friend when using one of these incubators!

2) Ditch the standard bottom half of this styro incubator & replace it with a deeper fish-box bottom (i.e. the bottom half of a 17"x17"x9" shipping box). If you're unsure where to find them, call around to your local pet stores - especially fish/aquarium specialty stores - and ask if they have a shipping box or two that they'd be willing to spare. If that doesn't work, you can always find one on Uline.com, but it'll cost you a bit more. A deeper bottom will work just the same & give you more capacity for holding that extra clutch if necessary. And that screen bit that comes standard with these incubators? Forget it.

3) Put eggs in an incubation container inside the incubator. Don't put your eggs & incubation substrate directly into a Hovabator - you'll get better humidity control inside an incubation container. Here's the kicker though - make sure the container is large/deep enough to accommodate enough incubation substrate, whether vermiculite, perlite, or whatever your favorite is. It's better to have a bigger container/more substrate than a smaller container/less substrate, which is why these incubators can cause issues in the first place, by not allowing enough room to truly accommodate eggs, container & substrate as necessary. See above tip on using a larger bottom half for the incubator.

4) Use a good thermostat. If you're paranoid about your eggs, don't rely on the twist-dial wafer thermostats that come standard with these incubators. It's ok to upgrade!

Just a little more food for thought...stuff to take into consideration WELL BEFORE you have eggs on the ground that need to be set up in the incubator!!!

K~

Oh yea, I'm at least a year out from having any eggs. Thanks!