The
Chick Chalet
Owners Manual
Avey Incubator, LLC
Email: service@aveyincubator.com
Chick Chalet
Owners Manual
I. Unpacking
A. Inspect for damage
1. Check for
damage when unpacking for the first time.
2. Unwrap the door(s). Slide the hinge long pin on the door
into the hole/slot in top of door frame until bottom (short) hinge pin clears
frame and drops into hinge hole. Place key in lock, close door and lock/latch
(lock serves as the latch too) Check for proper operation.
3. Fill water tray 2/3 full. The water wicks up into the
terry cloth washcloth hanging into the water tray. (Paper towels also work fine
in place of the terry cloth towel) The water tray installs on the inside right
hand side of the brooder. Slide the tab on the top of the water tray up into the gap
between the side wall and the inside top panel. Then let the water tray slide
down so the bottom tab is captured between the side wall and the inside bottom
tray. By adjusting the height of the crossbar holding the washcloth you can
achieve regulation of the humidity in the brooder.
B. The following items should be included
1. Chick Chalet
2. Air
filter
3. Owner's Manual
4. Humidity
water tray
C. Plug it in
1. The Chick
Chalet plugs into 120VAC and draws about 130 watts .
(185 watts for the large model)
III. Air Supply
A. The air supply completely changes about every 10 minutes, providing fresh air for the baby chicks. Air is recirculated, drawn up through the air filter, past the fan and heating elements, and humidity tray and then directed down the four corners of the Chick chalet.
B.
Cleaning the air filter. The Air filter must
be clean for proper air circulation. The Air Filter is removed by unscrewing
the 4 nuts and removing the filter cover. Rinse the filter material under the
faucet and wring out to dry. Reinstall the filter and cover. Do not install
a wet air filter - you can damage the temperature sensor.
C.
The air filter must be clean to
allow proper air flow and heating. A
clogged air filter will cause erroneous temperature readouts.
IV. Adjusting the Chick Chalet
A. Selection knob
1. The
selection knob has 2 operations. Push in (momentarily then let go) to start and
push in to finish a selection and turn left or right to change the selection.
(Push in and then release - some people try to hold the knob in and then turn
the knob while it is held in - this won't work! Push in means push and release)
2.
Passcode
a)
Your passcode is 5 (default)
b)
Push in the selection knob.
c)
When prompted dial in your passcode.
d)
Push in selection knob (and then let it out)
(i) If you wait too long the
operation times out and the Chick Chalet resumes
normal operation.
(ii) If you dial in the wrong passcode
the Chick Chalet resumes normal operation
(iii) If you dial in the correct password the Chick Chalet
moves to the temperature selection screen .
3.
Temperature Selection
A. Dial in the desired temperature.
B. Push in the selection knob to set.
C. Always
assess the baby when determining what is too hot or cold. A
baby that is too cold will huddle up against the side of the tub,
a baby that is too hot will stretch out or even hang their head over the side
when sleeping.
V. LCD Liquid
A. Displays
the temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
B. Automatically uses the last settings
even if the power has been off.
VI.
Cleaning
A. Windex and a soft cloth will be all
that is needed to keep your Chick Chalet clean. Spraying with Nolvosan or a 10% diluted bleach solution will disinfect
the Chick Chalet.
B. The clear
access door is made of a scratch resistant acrylic but for best performance should
be wiped with a clean cotton washcloth (not a paper towel. Paper towels are
more abrasive than cotton)
VII.
High Temperature Alarm
B. The high
temperature alarm is pre-programmed for about 2 degrees higher than the
setpoint temperature.
C. The over high temperature scenario
includes:
1. Sun shining
through a window onto the Chick Chalet
2.
At lower operating temperatures i.e. 80°f the birds themselves may be big
enough and old enough to generate their own heat to the point where they over-temp the Chick Chalet.
a)
If the high temp Alarm sounds - push in the selction
knob to silence it and open the Chick Chalet to vent some heat.
VIII.
From Day 1
A. Run the Chick Chalet
at 98°f to start.
(With day one
babies I double check everything so place a thermometer near the baby to double
check the temperature setting. Adjust the
brooder temperature up or down to compensate. )
1.
Place the baby in a butter tub or container of your choice.
2. Place the
container inside a sandwich bag (or gallon ziploc
type bag) along with a soaked paper towel. Keep the paper towel separated from
the tub.
a)
The idea is to add extra humidity to just the area in the ziploc.
DON'T SEAL (ZIP) the ZIPLOC!! The bag acts as a shield so the air circulating
in the Chick Chalet won't blow on and dry out the baby. Even though the
humidity tray will add humidity to the Chick Chalet, I supplement that humidity
for the first few days. After a week or so the baby does not need the zip loc
bag.
b)
Change the paper towel and bedding material in the tub at every feeding. This
warm moist environment will grow germs so extra vigilance is required here. (True with any brooder).
B. Reduce the operating temperature of the
brooder on day 3 to about 97°f and look at the baby.
1. Always assess the baby when determining what is
too hot or cold.
a)
A baby that is too cold will huddle up against the side of the tub,
b)
A baby that is too hot will stretch out or even hang their head over the side
when sleeping.
2. Every day or
two after that I reduce the temperature another degree. Assessing
the baby in the brooder. (Is the baby acting too cold or warm?) So by
the time their real down feathers are coming in (2-3 weeks )
the temperature is down in the mid 80's
a)
When fully down feathered they can be at "room temperature". I'll
leave them in the brooder (even turned off) and their own body heat will keep
them comfortable.
C. At this point I also lessen the amount
of dampness on the paper towel. Gradually over a period of
3-4 days allowing the baby to further dry out.
VIII.
Humidity
a. The humidity is displayed in "percent of relative humidity" (Digital Humidity Control Option only) on the LCD display. No wet bulb conversion is necessary.
b. Add humidity by adding water to the humidity tray. In extremely dry areas you may need to supplement the humidity with another pan of water placed in the brooder itself.
After about 3 weeks or so your baby parrot may be big enough to generate enough
additional moisture on their own and extra water isn’t necessary anymore.
X. Warranty
A. The Chick Chalet carries a 2 year
parts and labor warranty. Shipping charges to and from our facility are the
buyer's responsibility. Contact our
service dept. at 1-877-283-9462 (AVEYINC) or email at service@aveyinc.com for return
information.
X1. Return Policy.
A. Returns will be accepted for 30 days after shipping date on unused
equipment returned in the original packaging. You must call for return
authorization or shipment will be refused. Shipping charges and arrangements
are your responsibility. A restocking charge of 20% will be assessed. Packages
must be insured. You need to call and notify us on the day you ship your
return, be prepared to supply your tracking number.