Advice - Temp control: egg hatching machine

ason · Feb 24, 2012

Hey, My sister was asking me for some advice what she needs to control temperature to hatch chicken eggs

First i was think of use a lamp and a regular bimetal thermostat.

But now i have been looking on ebay and found stuff like this
100-240V Dual Digital PID Temperature Controller + K Sensor 2R

What do u guys think
Is´t possible to control a floor heating cable if it have a SSR output?

iant · Feb 24, 2012

it will do fine.
Some of these controllers have SSR outputs others have relay outputs.
the details are in the full part number.
for PID either are acceptable But it can burn relay contacts out.
Pay attention to the load .
AND
Pay attention to the electrical isolation if the Switching device welds closed.

Lancie1 · Feb 25, 2012

Is it possible to control a floor heating cable if it have a SSR output?

Yes, but 50 years ago on the farm where I grew up, we had a chicken "brooder" that hatched eggs and served as a heated environment for the young chicks. In the heated end of the box, there was a light bulb and a bi-metal thermostat. Keep it simple.

Lancie1 · Feb 25, 2012

Here are some examples of poultry brooders. There are many chicken experts who think it is best if the temperature varies within +/- 10 degrees F. Chickens living in nature did not have controlled heat, so my observations while working at the University of Tennessee poultry farm were that the chicks do best when they have a warm spot and a cooler spot, and can travel back an forth between the two areas, picking up food and water on the way.

http://www.birdsale.com.au/Details/DIY_Brooders.html

If your sister is only using this to hatch eggs, then it may be that a constant temperature is best, but again in nature, the mother hen often had to leave the eggs and the nest for many minutes while feeding herself. Therefore the eggs did not have a completely uninterrupted temperature, but cycled up and down, cooling and reheating.

ason · Feb 26, 2012

iant said:
it will do fine.
Some of these controllers have SSR outputs others have relay outputs.
the details are in the full part number.
for PID either are acceptable But it can burn relay contacts out.
Pay attention to the load .
AND
Pay attention to the electrical isolation if the Switching device welds closed.

Lancie1 said:
Yes, but 50 years ago on the farm where I grew up, we had a chicken "brooder" that hatched eggs and served as a heated environment for the young chicks. In the heated end of the box, there was a light bulb and a bi-metal thermostat. Keep it simple.

Lancie1 said:
Here are some examples of poultry brooders. There are many chicken experts who think it is best if the temperature varies within +/- 10 degrees F. Chickens living in nature did not have controlled heat, so my observations while working at the University of Tennessee poultry farm were that the chicks do best when they have a warm spot and a cooler spot, and can travel back an forth between the two areas, picking up food and water on the way.

http://www.birdsale.com.au/Details/DIY_Brooders.html

If your sister is only using this to hatch eggs, then it may be that a constant temperature is best, but again in nature, the mother hen often had to leave the eggs and the nest for many minutes while feeding herself. Therefore the eggs did not have a completely uninterrupted temperature, but cycled up and down, cooling and reheating.

Thanks for the tips!

In the first stage it´s only for hatch eggs, but she just have started this hobby so dont know in the long run.

So you think that a bi-metal thermostat and a light bulb is ok to hold the right temperture.
If so i skip the PID reg. better to keep it simple.
I was told that they relay need a stable temperature and then i started to thinking of pid..

Maybe i go for this with a light bulb then
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAP...D&vxp=mtr&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_4522wt_1163

leitmotif · Feb 26, 2012

Maybe i go for this with a light bulb then
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...ht_4522wt_1163

Since your sister is just starting out at hobby stage this type of control should be adequate. I like Lancie thought of a cool spot for the chicks and a warm spot - they will select which they want - just like a cat will find the warm spot in a house he likes.

Eggs - I think you may want a bit more uniformity of the light. What does a small commercial incubator cost? With a bunch of fooling around with controls it may be cheapest and easiest especially at beginner stage to just buy ready made unit.

Dan Bentler

Lancie1 · Feb 26, 2012

I like Lancie thought of a cool spot for the chicks and a warm spot - they will select which they want - just like a cat will find the warm spot in a house he likes.

Yes, that is the idea. Our old chicken brooder had a metal pan about 2' x 3', boxed in on one half with sheet metal and a heat lamp and thermostat on the closed end. The other half had wire mesh around the open sides, with a cloth curtain separating the warm end from the cool end. The cool end had water and feed troughs along the sides. The chicks would doze in the 95-degree warm end, then run over to the cool end to get feed and water.

The floor was wire mesh, covered with wood shavings, with a slide-out waste pan on the bottom that could be removed and emptied.

ason · Feb 26, 2012

leitmotif said:
Maybe i go for this with a light bulb then
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...ht_4522wt_1163
Eggs - I think you may want a bit more uniformity of the light. What does a small commercial incubator cost? With a bunch of fooling around with controls it may be cheapest and easiest especially at beginner stage to just buy ready made unit.

Dan Bentler

A commercial cost around 150 Euro, and a bi-metal thermostat and a light bulb is much cheaper,
And a box is easy to fix..

shooter · Feb 26, 2012

It has a relay output so do not set the freq too high.
like something around 20 m inutes or so.
but yes it will work fine, the relais can not have very much power, but you can always use a bigger one.

Lancie1 · Feb 26, 2012

The relais can not have very much power, but you can always use a bigger one.

10 Amp relay contact x 220 volts = 2200 watts. That is enough to fry baby chickens, and more than enough to keep them warm on cold nights. Our brooder only needed a 75 watt bulb, maximum.

Advice - Temp control: egg hatching machine

ason

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