identifying incubator, and finding instructions

[nicollee]

Any assistance would be appreciated...

My very "EXCITED" husband bought a foam incubator at a garage sale, it has no instructions or identifying marks on it for me to call a manufacturer and ask for instructions.
Not realizing there might be any issues with it, I bought fertile eggs, and started them... The first six days the temperature was fairly stable, then disaster struck... The temperature spiked over night, and we found it to be 105 in the am... We corrected the temperature, and it seemed to be stable for a few days, then it dropped to 89... The next few days we were not able to stabilize the temperature, and unfortunately, my eggs did not survive... Most appear to have started developing, but did not make it past that first week.
Can anyone give me any advice how to fix the incubator? and stabilize the temperature for another try...
Thank-you.

(Second question. I also borrowed a small 6 egg incubator. Those eggs were started in the afternoon on 11/17 when do I stop turning them? I think 4-5 of them look like they might) hatch for me.

 

[Pyxis]

That is a very ancient model of Little Giant, or LG, incubator. They're not very reliable and tend to need a lot of babysitting, as you are finding out. There is a thread with tips for them. I have this very same model and I never incubate in it, only use it as a hatcher, because it always killed anything I tried to incubate.

It also looks like yours lost the actual viewing windows and someone tried to replace them with a piece of plastic, which is probably not helping things with the temperature.

Anyway, the best tip for it is to keep it in a room with a very stable temperature, no drafts. You might want to put some heat sinks like bottles of water in it to help. Some people find covering it with blankets or towels helps insulate it from the outside temp and helps protect against temp swings.

As for your other eggs set 11/17, stop turning them and lock down on, well, yesterday actually. Just go ahead and do it today and they'll be fine.

 

[nicollee]

Thank-you
If we do this again... I will look for a newer version...
this was heart breaking.. 12 eggs,
started, and lost the battle... only two were infertile..

Came home this evening...
the 6 in the small incubator are chirping...
3 have cracks... and now I'm terrified that I kept
turning them too long... How long from the first crack
till they should be out????
Thank you again.

 

[Pyxis]

It'll probably be within 24 hours from pip that they start to hatch. They're most likely totally fine, just get that humidity up for them now.

 

[nicollee]

Thank-you...
wish the new babies... luck please....

 

[Pyxis]

Keep me updated

 

[nicollee]

Why don't I think about asking these questions before now?????
First new babe... how long can it stay in the high humidity of the incubator...
and how do I keep the humidity high for the rest of the eggs when I take it out?

 

[Pyxis]

Congrats on the hatch! He can hang out in there in the high humidity, it won't bother him, he might take a while to fluff up though. Honestly if I ever have to grab a chick out of the incubator I never worry about it. As long as the humidity goes right back up after it doesn't hurt anything. That said, you don't actually HAVE to take him out for up to three days - the yolk will last him that long. Of course your others should be hatched well before that

 

[nicollee]

Thank you....
it's been almost 20 years since I've hatched chicks
and then I had a momma hen....
and it was over 20 years before that I was in 4H with chicks..
ok, so at first it was my husband excited... now it's me...

 

[nicollee]

now comes the prayers.... let it be a hen, let it bee a hen....