GQF Sportsman 1502 Incubator Questions

[bdfive]

I've been so busy. Regarding hatching in the cabinet gqf, I've read so many will turn off the fan during lockdown because after pipped the air dries the eggs out so fast. Those fans really blow in this incubator so maybe not best to hatch in there. I moved 13 eggs to the hova bator and looks like only 5 are going to hatch. Rest have died in the shell. They were started in the hova bator and moved to the new 1502 after getting it set up. I had a hard time figuring out how to lay them for hatching. The air sacs were confusing unlike when the eggs have incubated with pointy side down in the 1588 egg turner. Now they lay on their side. Is that really best....them on their side? I've never hatched anything but peafowl eggs. I need to do a batch of chicken eggs that aren't so difficult just to make myself feel good, LOL!! My peas are eating the same as they always do ... there is no Gamebird Breeder Feed available in my area. I read to give them nothing but their regular feed during breeding buy mine get fruit and veggies....maybe that's my problem. I haven't cleaned/disinfected the eggs very well even tho they don't get that soiled....could that be the problem with such a bad hatch rate? My peahens hatch every fertile egg under them.......maybe I need to set on them, hahahahahaha!!!!!

 

[bdfive]

i honestly dont think you will have any issue with your hatch at 60%, you dont need to run your humidity up just keep it stable,  i run mine up with my geese but have hatched them off at 55 to 60% humidity with no problem.   i thought you just wanted to know how to raise your humidity, and if you add water to your bottom tray with no top i would say it will raise the humidity in the entire bator also.   I think you will be fine without adding any water as long as your humidity holds stable through the lockdown.

I'm at it again looking for specific information but this time for Black Swan eggs. Have 2 hopefully ready to hatch soon and a few more put in the incubator a few days ago. Would love to find directions from start to finish. Everything I read is different like 60 to 80 humidity during lockdown. I have it on 70 now..........very difficult to raise it that high. I have 2 GQF sponges in the tray and have added 2 fair size containers of water. Problem is the bucket on top fills the water tray that came with the incubator but the others will most likely empty before the eggs hatch and I can't open the door to fill them.

Thanks much for the suggestions and help long ago when I needed it. Any help now will be much appreciated.

 

[zazouse]

I Problem is the bucket on top fills the water tray that came with the incubator but the others will most likely empty before the eggs hatch and I can't open the door to fill them.

Thanks much for the suggestions and help long ago when I needed it. Any help now will be much appreciated.

When i use a Styrofoam bator or cabinet bator i use clear tubing with a funnel attached to fill the incubators from a vent hole so i never have to open them

unless i am checking their development.

I know nothing about hatching swan eggs but this method would still work

 

[zazouse]

Here is what i use to fill the resivors
Please excuse the dust i have not cleaned my bators yet this year.

 

[bdfive]

Had already asked Bob if we had any tubing in the garage, looked and found some that looks actually just like yours. Even tho I figured out to fill the second water tray with tubing I'm past happy to now read and see your pictures. I intended to use a tiny funnel I have in a kitchen drawer but will look for one more adequate. In fact there are funnels in the garage......will check them out. I have the water tray with float in it sold with the 5 gallon bucket on top of the incubator feeding water in. Will put my original water tray on the shelf beneath it and keep it full with your method.

PLEASE, can you tell me about your sponges. I've tried several store bought but they don't seem to absorb the water up into them to help much. Those sold for use by GQF are made of paper and can only be used once...they fall apart and are expensive. Do you have a brand name of your sponges? Any chance you can post an up close picture of one? Where did you purchase them? I remember sponges from past life that would have worked great but can't find them anymore.

How high can you raise the humidity with the one tray and sponges? I'm trying to get mine half way between 65 and 80 so at about 72/73.

Thanks zazouse, always appreciate your help and love chatting with you. Is there an active thread going on peafowl now? Breeding season coming up soon. Also soon time for 6 month worming.

 

[Garden Peas]

@bdfive what's your elevation? I'm at about 5 thousand feet and it's next to impossible to get it above 60-65%, I'd have to rig spraying water I think, lol. It's a little easier for folks nearer sea level ;-)

 

[bdfive]

Garden Peas, love picture of your Silver Pied male. So much fun with each male having different patterns. I'm in Texas Hill Country, low elevation.

 

[Garden Peas]

Good luck with the swan eggs

You have a much better chance of getting those high humidities in the bator down there. Up here, we pretty much would have to defy the laws of physics

Or have a whole separate room surrounding the incubator that was rigged up like a sauna. It's a wonder anything ever hatches...

 

[zazouse]

Had already asked Bob if we had any tubing in the garage, looked and found some that looks actually just like yours. Even tho I figured out to fill the second water tray with tubing I'm past happy to now read and see your pictures. I intended to use a tiny funnel I have in a kitchen drawer but will look for one more adequate. In fact there are funnels in the garage......will check them out. I have the water tray with float in it sold with the 5 gallon bucket on top of the incubator feeding water in. Will put my original water tray on the shelf beneath it and keep it full with your method.

PLEASE, can you tell me about your sponges. I've tried several store bought but they don't seem to absorb the water up into them to help much. Those sold for use by GQF are made of paper and can only be used once...they fall apart and are expensive. Do you have a brand name of your sponges? Any chance you can post an up close picture of one? Where did you purchase them? I remember sponges from past life that would have worked great but can't find them anymore.

How high can you raise the humidity with the one tray and sponges? I'm trying to get mine half way between 65 and 80 so at about 72/73.

Thanks zazouse, always appreciate your help and love chatting with you. Is there an active thread going on peafowl now? Breeding season coming up soon. Also soon time for 6 month worming.

I got that 5 gallon bucket with the float tray also it would not keep my reservoir filled adequately so i switched to the funnel and tube.

Those sponges work ok but to get the humidity real high i use a few cheap white wash cloths rolled up and place in the area that is made to hold sponges. add 2 set of them to the reservoir

Please excuse the dirty looking reservoir i have alot of iron in my water and it builds up after years of use

 

[Kedreeva]

I'm about to order a gqf for myself, the 1502 just like this. So the hatcher has no lid to it and the fan blows a lot- is there a reason a lid can't be made for it? I've had to make various types of lids for some of my snake or rodent enclosures, often times with the express intent of holding in moisture on the snakes. So, is there not room for a lid or is it more a factor of the bottom egg tray turning down into the hatcher? Is the bottom egg tray removable? I don't expect to have enough eggs to use all three trays, so if it can be removed I can probably just make a lid to stop the fan from drying out the eggs in the hatcher.

@jdavis do you have a photo (or can you take a photo) of the tray you have?