[Kitchen Cottage]

My neighbour used to have 200 chickens... when he sold up he stayed at mine for 3 months and very kindly gave me some stuff from his....

One item of which is something that has on it "multihatch mark II automatic incubator....  He last kept chickens about 10 years ago so its at least that old...

I switched it on today, and it works!  the fan works and the temperature thingy works...

It has had the first of many cleans    because I would REALLY like to rear some chooks!

I have the basics in my book but... obviously I don't have a manual for the multihatch and google hasn't helped.  Does anybody know this model or can provide any help? 

I am SOOO excited about this year and Kitchen Cottage!!

[zoe_emma]

That's fab!

I am so jealous, would love to hatch some eggs but OH won't hear of it.

[john and helen]

have you any other names on the machine….don't know if this is any help

http://www.brinsea.co.uk/free-downloads?page=1/

[Kitchen Cottage]

There is no name on it, but it IS mustard and black. 

When I was cleaning it I broke one of the thermometers, as it is free standing I assume it can be replaced?

I am going to have to contact my old neighbour and ask him 

[Mammyshaz]

What a great item to be given 
Santa surprised me with  a brinsea  last year. The whole family had a great experience hatching our own eggs and watching the chicks grow to strapping big cockerels and hens, then came the eggs. A great feeling that we reared them to pol 
Have fun and keep us informed as your project unfolds         

[Kitchen Cottage]

I've send an email to the previous owner so hopefully he can talk me through it.... I would LOVE some Marans so want to rear some.  I cleaned it again last night and it's set up in my utility room.  Peter is an "only the best" bloke so no doubt it will be a good make!

It sort of looks like this but is a LOT bigger

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brinsea-Octagon-20-DX-Egg-Incubator-24-hen-eggs-/231128640909#ht_209wt_1170

[Victorian Farmer]

I think there was 3 multi hatches 40 egg 120 egg and youres 140 egg age dosent matter just make sure you WD 40 the fan .And don't hatch in It. Use a cheapi polastirene to hatch and then you can put weeks in at a time mark up and move to the Hatcher When redey .Silver duc wing marran look good .I use multi hatch just set up with a digital thermomiter not e bay 38.5/6/7 depending on week .keep in touch

[Kitchen Cottage]

Disaster!

This text received from gift giver "Incubator needs bits and pieces including rods to lay cross for the eggs and importantly a doohinkey to keep the humidity right but I can't rememver whether there's one there or even what the humidity should be but it's quite importantly particularly with raptors.  Perhaps just a saucer of water would do for poultry but I really do not remember"

Am I doomed???!!! 

1. What is a doohinkey to keep the humity right?  Its a thingymajig but what kind of thinkymajig??
2. Raptors??  Aren't those dinosaurs?  I only want to raise some marans! (I am suffering chook jealously as my tenant bought 3 beautiful girls and they are making my ex bats look .... pedestrian, but she paid £35 a bird at a pet shop and I'm not doing that )
3. What is the right humidity, how do I measure it and can I use a saucer of milk?
4. What are these rods?

.... should this all just go down the dump and my neighbour has given me his rubbish? 

[Victorian Farmer]

Cool dawn put a pic on il tell you haw to sort .The rods we can make them from a old barbaque no problem .If the umidatey is high dry hatch .just get a pic on so I can see to sort .

[Humblepie]

if the thing heats up and has a temperature control then it will work. alot of models do everything for you but its not that difficult to do things yourself. incys have been around a very long time.

buy a thermometer and a humidity gauge for a couple of pounds each. keep them inside the incy and play around until you get the right temp and humidity. usually temperature dials need only turning the tiniest bit.
for humidity get a little pot of water - ie egg cup and put it in the incy. if its not humid enough then replace the pot with a bigger size or add a piece of damp cloth (handy for hatching too) until the humidity is correct.
my best incubating results were a very simple incy with no egg rests, just a flat bottom and i literally turned the eggs myself 5 times a day. posh incys will hold the eggs a certain way but its not necessary aslong as you are prepared to turn them yourself.

the correct temp and humidity will depend on what species or egg, and what stage of incubating they are at.
does it have a fan? they stabilise the environment so are they handy.

[chrismahon]

I'd get a mercury thermometer from the chemists to give you accuracy in the correct range KC. Humidity gauges are not very accurate so for guidance only. Water in a small bowl if necessary during incubation -it depends how damp the air is in the area the unit is running and many people don't use water at that stage. The idea is to evaporate the yolk water content slowly to create an air sac and the best way to tell is candling. The sac gives the chick room to manoeuvre for pipping.


As VF says the fan may be noisy and it will be due to bearing lubrication, or lack of it. I use a few drops of thin oil carefully placed, but if the fan (if you have one) is quiet when the unit is at temperature don't bother with oil.


You will need an Engineer type person to look at it and decide what the rods do and how to fit them exactly. As VF says it could be explained from pictures perhaps.


Still sounds like a great freebie and as Humblepie says, the eggs could be turned by hand. Problem is every time they are handled the eggs can get contaminated so cleanliness is absolutely essential.


I would leave the eggs in the incubator for hatching at your first attempt. At day 18 (day they go in is day zero) temp goes down half a degree, turning stops and humidity is raised to about 70% which will then need a tray or trays of boiled water (cooled to incubator temperature) adding.


Have you a book on incubation KC?  If not try Katie Thears 'Incubation:A guide to Hatching and Rearing' ISBN 0-9061-3725-X. It was £6.95 when I bought it. Worth remembering that half your hatch will be cockerels so plan ahead.


You should start with a dozen eggs as you may only hatch 50% and if lucky then get 3 pullets (we've had 8 cockerels in a hatch of 9). Paying £3 an egg is reasonable for good quality, then you have the feed, electricity for heat lamps plus bedding. It may be worth considering just buying 3 pullets and save all the hassle.

[widget]

I would definitely recommend having a go at hatching! its really addictive!!!

 we got some eggs off a neighbour warrens to try it out, we have had good hatch rates upto about 80% but have lost one or two in the first couple of days. We have now hatched chooks, ducks, turkeys and quail with varying success- some eggs posted as bought off ebay etc!

[Kitchen Cottage]

oh dear!!! I was apparently suffering premature dejection!!   I'll order an incubation book and sort the other bits out.... now I've spent so long cleaning it (it was filthy with bits of egg shell stuck in inconvenient places) I've just GOT to give it a go.

I help run a pets corner and I'll see if I can get some fertilised eggs from them.... otherwise I'll just get some off the internet.

I really fancy some Marans ....