Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[cmom]

Quote:
If you have an old cordless phone, you can use the DC adapter from that.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have 2 ducks go broody at once. I candle there eggs yesterday when they where out getting a bath and something to eat. They are sitting on 16 eggs. I need to separate them but not sure on how I need to do that without scaring one off.

If the ducks are in a safe spot to be sitting on eggs, you can leave them together. I had a pair of ducks share a single nest to hatch out 24/26 eggs. When the eggs hatched, I expected a bit of a squabble over dividing up the ducklings. Not so! One duck ran off and never looked back, leaving the other to tend 24 little ducklings.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

If it is to much trouble could you please post a picture of this thanks, Just reading this post has given me hope for my LG up until now I haven't got a 50% hatch rate on in but I will try this on the hatch

A hen doesn't use a fan-- but is able to keep the environment rather stable. I was able to increase my hatch rates when I dropped the humidity very low. My last hatch ran at 16% for about 8 eggs, and they still didn't dry down enough. Looked like day 14. Only 2 hatched out of 4 developing. ( Others were clears.) THe diagram on aircell size is an important factor. A fan will move the air around and increase the air flow out of the incubator.

Quote:
If you have an old cordless phone, you can use the DC adapter from that.
Search BYC for old posts on construction. Me who has never wired a thing in her life, tackled the computer fan install. Getting the wires right is very important. ANd I used the 6v as that is all I had-- does a better job than no fan.

I used flexible wire to attch mine fan-- I can raise or lower and even angle it to find the best results. THe best was to set it like the above pic with a space and parallel to lid. Easy peasy.

I also rotate the lid to help with trying to have temps even-- only if I have too many eggs to move around extensively.

Quote:

 

[mtman1849]

Thanks for the picture all I have to do is pick up some small bolt and nuts I got this, if everything goes according to plan I will be setting 40 on Sunday

 

[cmom]

I took the eggs out from under my broody because others were laying in the nest. I put the eggs in one of my LG's I set one up to incubate and one as a hatcher. The first eggs should hatch on Sunday. I candled the eggs and they look good.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Last year, I had to mark the incubating eggs because new ones would also show up under my broody. It was easy when they were brown, but I had one blue egg layer and that's what I was wanting to hatch so if she had 11 blue eggs when she was only suppose to have 10, I had to candle them to find out what one needed to be removed. When I did that, I also marked the good ones so I would be able to see at a glance what was suppose to stay and what was supposed to go.

CG

 

[cmom]

I took the eggs out from under my broody because others were laying in the nest. I put the eggs in one of my LG's I set one up to incubate and one as a hatcher. The first eggs should hatch on Sunday. I candled the eggs and they look good.

I put 8 eggs originally under the broody. When I took the eggs away from her there were 18 eggs under her. I did mark the original eggs under her. I set up two incubators so as they pip I can put the eggs in the incubator I have set up to hatch in. I have done this before and have had very good hatches still. I have misculculated the date on a previous hatch and had the chicks start hatching in the incubator in the turner and still had a great hatch. The chicks are due to hatch tomorrow and I just checked and have a pip.

 

[chickkrzi]

I put 8 eggs originally under the broody. When I took the eggs away from her there were 18 eggs under her. I did mark the original eggs under her. I set up two incubators so as they pip I can put the eggs in the incubator I have set up to hatch in. I have done this before and have had very good hatches still. I have misculculated the date on a previous hatch and had the chicks start hatching in the incubator in the turner and still had a great hatch. The chicks are due to hatch tomorrow and I just checked and have a pip. 

Man that sounds like something I would do . Hope to see some pics soon. Are they RIR or RIW?
Wish you all the luck!!!!

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Both. It's a RIR egg that has pipped.

 

[chickkrzi]

Both. It's a RIR egg that has pipped.

Well great, there in good hands.