How long does the thread have to be? What size of needle?
What's In YOUR Incubator??
6" suspended. smallish needle, not embroidery.
Alright, I will go try this.
Thanks, Hunny. It's much appreciated:-)
Well according to that (mind you, I did use red thread), all my eggs are sterile. The needle did not move, once my hand stopped moving and provided that I didn't breathe and cause faint air currents. This included eggs that have quite clear movement inside them. I used a fairly small needle - darning needle, very sharp.
!?! I had that trouble last year when I didn't have the eggs totally stabilized -couldn't stop moving or breathing long enough to get a read. This year was entirely different. The motion was too regular to be me...Wonder what the difference is...
I think I might try it again suspending it from some object. I have a small plant light stand with adjustable height that I could suspend the needle from. I'd like to put some other objects under it, like a walnut, or a golf ball, etc. Just to see what happens with other things. Maybe there is just static or something in objects.
One odd thing I did do. Touch the needle to the egg first (the larger end remember) and then lift it. I did that to keep the needle and my hands stable. That would be a good blind though. A golfball, a rock and an unrefrigerated egg.
what kind of metal is the needle?
Oh, I had the egg laying on its side.
I don't know. Steel I suppose...
Ok. Mine didn't move when the needle was centered lengthwise. I started with the needle over the highest part of the 'sideways' egg.
OK, going to try again. :-)
I really am curious. I could not reconcile the motion I saw with anything I could physically produce myself (wind and wiggle etc). And the only one that the needle never moved is the only egg that never developed or was fertilized. Hmmm.
This message was edited Oct 18, 2008 8:24 PM
Hmmm...well, I found a wicker basket with a hoop handle over it. I suspended the needle on the thread from the handle. I put a piece of polar fleece in the basket and folded it for the smaller eggs (to raise them closer to the needle) and left it at 1 layer for the larger eggs.
1 serama egg with visible embryo movement when candled - no needle movement
2 silkie eggs with nothing visible (put in yesterday) had faint movement
1 pendesenca egg due next week had faint movement
1 "raiku" fired miniature clay dachshund had faint movement
1 walnut in shell had no movement.
interesting....
Glad you all are posting these scientific test results. Now I know that I should use the needle for sewing, LOL
Sheila
I'd watch the dachshund very carefully.
Here he is being tested.
And after he was put back on the shelf. I think he has a glint in his eye.
Scary---very scary. I have a ceramic armadillo from Guatemala that I am going to test now.
You all are insane. I think that ceramic is know to give off positive ions that tend to neutralize the negative ions, hence the spinning needle.
Oh! I have a three legged ceramic pig from Chile! It has been on the same shelf with the dog. Hmmmm.....I see a worrying trend....
Now Major Williams has gone all scientific on us....
But that doesn't mean that the ceramic animal's psychic force isn't feeding off the ion storm. Just look at the glint in Moxon's dachshund's eye.
I am going to test every ceramic animal in the house and maybe include the crockery and flower pots as well--I had no idea how perilous inanimate ceramics could be. But know that I think of it, remember the famous pot throwing scene in "Ghost"?
Perhaps you should update your title to Chief Ceramic Testing Officer?
What other ceramic animals do you have?
I have two small alabaster rabbits, a number of ceramic and stone hedgehogs, small stoneware pigs, sheep, scottie dog, and several small rodents from the "Tremar" British pottery. Fortunately I haven't got any dragons or other large scary ceramic animals.
My armadillo is quite large and scary--in a cute and colorful way.
But science first: These are the Blue Copper Marans eggs that arrived this afternoon. Note that, as described by the breeder, the color is not that of the Black Cooper Marans--but they are also washed out by the flash. Only the right rear egg showed any movement of the needle. It is unfortunately the smallest and lightest colored. Should I notify the breeder preemptively that all her eggs, but one, are infertile? It hardly seems worth incubating them....
Now here is the ceramic armadillo.
It induced definite and persistent movement of the needle. I am going to put it in a cool, dry place in an attempt to interrupt any further development.
I will test the rest of my ceramics tomorrow. Many are in boxes and I shudder to think what has transpired over the summer.
You have that thing why Catscan? LOL
It is not a scientific test until you incubate everything up to and including the armadillo.
Don't you like my armadillo, ZZ? I bet he could scare away your evil chicken hunting dog!
Maybe I will incubate it, grownut. My new hatcher is just big enough--but at what temp and RH and for how long? Do I need to turn it? I suspect it is only our ignorance about such things that has prevented a world-wide ceramic takeover with profound environmental repercussions.
Global Warming--Unintentional consequence of human technology...or ceramic plot?
no no no SHINY ceramic plot
Oh Catscan! Your ceramic armadillo is adorable and coveted. Can you breed it? If you incubate it, will it have babies? I want one!
Sorry about the Marans eggs. I suggest incubating anyway, because you need to prove that the needle was correct, of course.
Here are my small alabaster bunnies. What should I do?
Possible conspiracy....
Have they been multiplying?
Is this why I have small furries in my garage?
I have the same problem at my house. Only they're stone frogs and turtles.
Have you done the hanging needle test with them? If not, I would suggest it immediately. I think we are on to something here...
Hi Claire....... I noticed your R-com and i wanted to know how you like it......if you could go back, would you get the same incubator?
I am planning to buy the R-com also and it seems to me that it is the easiest for everything. Cleaning, operating, regulating.
So i would love to hear how you like it. I look on www.brinsea.com and see there are many varieties of the r-com and i cant even figure out what is different about them. I imagine once you own one you would know. Do you have a turner? Did you not use it because you wanted to fit the extra eggs in there with the bantams? Any advice would be very helpful. Thanks, wendy
Hi Wendy,
I LOVE my R-Com. It is my favorite bator. I have the Brinsea Octagon 40, a Little Giant, and the R-Com 20. I would definitely get one again. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that it only fits 20 eggs. I wish they would do an R-Com 50. :-)
Cleaning is super-easy. Operating and regulating is also super-easy. The only thing you have to do is remember to fill the water reservoir for humidity. Everything else is digitally set and maintained. I didn't get the R-Com Pro because the main difference is the software/USB connection aspect and I didn't need that.
It has a turner and it's like a flat tray in the bottom and there is a cog wheel system under it so when the eggs are turning they are flat on the bottom and against the dividers, so it's like the "floor" under them moves and because they are confined by the dividers, the moving floor makes them turn. Sort of like a conveyer belt. so the turner is in there, it's part of the unit - you can turn it on or off. The Pro comes with specific egg trays but I find the dividers work perfectly well for my needs. Both models have the turner. It's not a separate purchase.
In my picture, the dividers are out in the end of the unit because the eggs were different sizes and since I had enough eggs in there they kind of acted like the dividers so that the eggs turned when the floor moved. I take the dividers out at hatching time because the eggs are not turning and are ready for hatching. I put a damp paper towel in the bottom to keep humidity high and give the chicks a better surface because the plastic "floor" is quite slippery for little feet. I move them into a little giant incubator that I use as a "brooder" for the first couple of days and then I move them into a Brinsea Cosy Lamp brooder.
Any more questions, just let me know!
Claire
By the way, the current web special on Brinsea's site for $379 is a good deal on the R-Com 20. I would get one if you can afford it. It makes incubating a breeze.