# Egg cooling devices



## Kapidolo Farms (Sep 2, 2016)

My interest looking through TFO was used up before the idea of bugging everyone with something no doubt well covered here somewhere.

I hear tale of people using wine coolers for chilling eggs, any specific suggestions within what a wine cooler can do or some other more or less plug-n-play thing for this purpose?


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## Tom (Sep 2, 2016)

I bought one recently, and I'm not thrilled with it. It says it will go down to 55, but I can't get it below 60-ish. When the house is warm on these hot summers day, it hovers around 65ish when its on its lowest setting.

It is a Kalamera 28 bottle model #KR-28ASS. I don't recommend it.

My cooling recipe consists of room temp, 65, 60, 65 again, and room temp again. I'm going to keep this one for the 65 degree periods, but I'm looking for another one for the 60 degree week.

Also, go big. This one just barely fits three shoe boxes of eggs. I usually do 12-15 eggs per shoe box and I've got 4 females laying clutches of 10-15 eggs every 4 weeks all spring and summer long.

I'm getting the cooling techniques down with the SA leopard eggs, so when the platynota eggs start coming, I'll have all the bugs worked out.

I'm looking forward to recommendations from others on this thread who have had better results with their wine fridge purchases than me.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Sep 9, 2016)

I know this is not a debatable topic, like Hillary or Trump, or even if green beans are okay to feed to tortoises.

But don't any of you chill eggs beside @Tom . Or is it so secret a method you would rather keep it secret than have public accolades?

Is it Friday? I think I'll try a new sour beer.


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## mike taylor (Sep 9, 2016)

It's Friday! But I have no help sorry.


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## Tom (Sep 9, 2016)

@Will ,
I've been trying to do some research on this and read reviews of individual products. I bought the Kalamera model listed above because it had good reviews and it said that since it was an "electronically" cooled model vs. a conventional compressor driven fridge, that it was quieter. It appears that from what I've read that the compressor types are able to get a bit colder and hold that cooler temp steadier than the electronically cooled types. Since I'm getting bombarded with so many eggs and I need to be able to chill at two different temps for my "recipe", I think I will buy another fridge and this time try out the compressor type. I'll keep you posted on the results. And Yvonne too.


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## Anyfoot (Sep 11, 2016)

I know your trying to get info on actual egg cooling devices but I need to scratch this itch now. Soooooo,

You guys are going to have to explain what you mean by cooling periods. Do you mean diapause or is cooling something different. What sort of temps are we talking about for a cooling period?


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## Tom (Sep 11, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> I know your trying to get info on actual egg cooling devices but I need to scratch this itch now. Soooooo,
> 
> You guys are going to have to explain what you mean by cooling periods. Do you mean diapause or is cooling something different. What sort of temps are we talking about for a cooling period?



The eggs of some species of tortoise experience a diapause, meaning they will not develop until the proper environmental parameters are met. In the case of SA leopards and platynota, you must first cool the eggs to "break" the diapause and allow the eggs to develop in an incubator.

Different people have different "recipes" for cooling. The guy I bought my SA leopards from decided that letting nature incubate them in the ground works best for him. It takes 12-18 months for his eggs to hatch that way. The eggs are laid in spring and summer, but will not develop until the following spring and summer after they've undergone a proper cooling period during our temperate winters here in SoCal. He gets a boat load of babies in late August or early September every year.

My other friend has a bunch of adults that he got from the same guy and he hatches his with coolers and incubators. He's experimented extensively with temperatures and time frames and he's found what works best for him. This is my first year at it, and I'm trying to mimic his technique. Time will tell how well it works for me.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Sep 21, 2016)

So this is what I got. It will hold six shoe box size trays. It seemed to hold the temp well with several degrees F swing and RH swing as well. At Costco if you don't otherwise sort that out.


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