Props to the HovaBator Genesis 1588 w/automatic turner!

[sarahandbray]

Well THAT wasn't too hard! Hatch rate of 31/32 with my first batch of my own Barnyard Mixes!!
Thanks to everyone on here who suggested the HovaBator 1588!! Worked amazingly! I set them on a Tuesday between 8am-noon and most hatched on a Monday between 6am-midnight!
Thanks to this forum for suggesting it!! I put the little babies on a local Facebook farm site and had them sold within TWO minutes! All 31 going to a new, wonderful home Friday. Then I'll set it again!! Can't wait!
Sarah

 

[DarthRooster]

Did you do any tweaking with the settings or leave it as it came? Getting ready for my first batch in my 1588 and just want to be sure. What did you run your humidity at? Thanks

 

[sarahandbray]

I left it EXACTLY as it said in the directions. Did not tweak anything at all. Temperature during days 0-18 was 100 degrees and around 45% humidity most of the time. I filled up trough #1 every 3 days or so. I candled (opening the lid) maybe every other day.

Lockdown was Day 18. I took the turner out and laid the eggs on the grid. I filled troughs #1 & #2 and then just closed the lid. I had set the eggs on a Tuesday between 8am-noon. On Sunday night (before they were "due" that Tuesday), we had a pip at 5pm. A bunch more pipped that Sunday night. Monday morning at 6:40 am, the first chick hatched. The majority of the chicks hatched that day (a day before they were due). Maybe 10 hatched on their actual due date. All were done by the evening of their due date.

During lockdown, the humidity was 65%ish. Once they started hatching, the humidity jumped up to 75% all on it's own. I didn't put any sponges or paper towels or anything extra in it. I still had only filled up troughs #1 & #2.


We only had one dead but fully developed and fully zipped in the shell that didn't hatch. I have no idea why. Otherwise, all of them hatched!!

I would say to follow the directions verbatim the first time and then tweak if necessary. We didn't have to and I'm setting another batch this Sunday!

Sarah

 

[sarahandbray]

The only thing I would change is that I chickened out and took the babies out that had hatched after 12 hours. I thought we opened the lid as quickly as possible--we grabbed all the chicks (13) and my husband grabbed all the egg shells and we closed it back up. Humidity shot right back up. But after that, the membranes on the eggs that had pipped looked dry, not moist like they had before. I was really worried I had doomed the last 19 eggs. They did manage to hatch successfully, but next time, I'll just let all of them bang around in there for two days before I open the lid.

Sarah

 

[scflock]

I know I have told you this before, but that is an amazing hatch rate, especially in styrofoam

 

[DarthRooster]

How accurate did you find the built in hygrometer. People always say to get another one and calibrate it due to the 1588s being not as accurate.

 

[sarahandbray]

I didn't put a stand-alone hygrometer in. Just went by what the digital readout said. And it must have worked!!
GQF has added a little stapled on flyer basically saying "don't mess with the built-in humidity levels" to the front of the directions. I guess they mean it--worked great!!!
-Sarah

 

[dldolan]

I just ordered this incubator and am pretty excited about it. The reviews have said that the new edition (2012) was re-tooled and doesn't need the "extra" hygrometer. Would it still be wise to stick one in there?

My Marans mentor says she hatches at 50% day 1-18 and then 70% at lock down. I am in CA so not much ambient humidity, and she is down South, so very different climates for hatching. I've had bad luck in an old Brower incubator, where we could never get the humidity more than 40-ish%, then a bit higher at hatch. Anyway, you can't SEE anything in them, so I think that having to open up the whole entire lid to take chicks out really messes with the Marans. I've had much, much higher success with broodies! But there is never one when I want her (except maybe my bantam Cochin!!!).

Anyway, for my Splash Marans program, I need to hatch out more and regularly, so I read up on all sorts of incubators and got the 1588. Glad to find this thread. How did the second hatch go?

 

[DarthRooster]

Get the additional hygrometer.

 

[dldolan]

Get the additional hygrometer.
In order to have a second method of monitoring? As in: just to make sure? I'm okay with that. Is there room?