Official Incubator Thread-Tips & Comments

[bigballs]

so as long as the eggs dont get wet they should be fine and im guessing that the eggs dont need too much oxygen to develop and survive.
i have seen some pictures of eggs almost fully buried in vermiculite and then i have seen others of the eggs sitting on top of lighting crates on top of vermiculite.
i know that both methods work but what are the benefits of each? im still debating on which method i should use.

i have never attempted this before so im sorry to drag this on and on but this is my first year breeding and i really want all my eggs to survive. thanks for everything so far!

[elevatethis]

so as long as the eggs dont get wet they should be fine and im guessing that the eggs dont need too much oxygen to develop and survive.
i have seen some pictures of eggs almost fully buried in vermiculite and then i have seen others of the eggs sitting on top of lighting crates on top of vermiculite.
i know that both methods work but what are the benefits of each? im still debating on which method i should use.

i have never attempted this before so im sorry to drag this on and on but this is my first year breeding and i really want all my eggs to survive. thanks for everything so far!

I like the idea of the eggs being half-buried in the subsrate. Eggs like consistent temps, so being buried in the thermal mass of the box, I see less opportunity for fluctuation.

However, a lot of people are having good success with the no-substrate method, so it really amounts to just doing whatever helps you sleep best at night for that long 60 day span...

[bigballs]

ok but if the substrate is too wet or too dry will it not kill the eggs? thats what im a little unsure about as i have never mixed vermiculite before. so i read its easier to save an egg that is a little dehydrated compared to one that absorbs too much water. im just not sure how much water is too much or too little. i guess i can play around with it until my hygrometer says 90-100%but that still doesnt measure the wetness of the vermiculite so i can see how some are comfortable with the substrateless method. although, like you i would feel a little more comfortable with eggs "sitting" on something...

[bigballs]

i modified my incubators to use 11" flexwatt as the heating element.

heres how it looks now:



it heats up great and no outside moisture can get into the egg box.