Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[rayray983]

I have 2 newer models of lg one bought in Jan one in Feb and both of them work just fine and I've had 2 hatches in one and 1 in the other and I've had 80 to 90% hatches with each hatch I currently have 18 polish eggs and 48 EE eggs in one and 29 khaki Campbell eggs and 9 call duck eggs in the other I do not use the turner because having to turn the eggs 3 times a day means I keep a steady check on the incubators where as a turner I'd forget it

 

[topdycke]

I am a little frustrated with the temperature shifts. I do have the turner in but since it is my first ever hatch/chickens I am marking the temperature hourly when I am not at work. The temperature in the house (incubator being on the desk in the kitchen) is 72 day and 64 evening. The incubator shifts between 98 and 100.6 seemingly at random. It seems like those are reasonable but since i am not opening it or fussing for the past week I have been anxious about this and hoping it is not having a detrimental effect on the development. If it stayed nailed down at a set temperature I would at least know that I had succeeded in following 'chicken hatching directions'.

 

[cmom]

I am a little frustrated with the temperature shifts. I do have the turner in but since it is my first ever hatch/chickens I am marking the temperature hourly when I am not at work. The temperature in the house (incubator being on the desk in the kitchen) is 72 day and 64 evening. The incubator shifts between 98 and 100.6 seemingly at random. It seems like those are reasonable but since i am not opening it or fussing for the past week I have been anxious about this and hoping it is not having a detrimental effect on the development. If it stayed nailed down at a set temperature I would at least know that I had succeeded in following 'chicken hatching directions'.

Your temperature is ok. This is not rocket science. I have 2 LS's set up right now. One is set up for incubating in and one for hatching. I have my humidity around 35%. My temp fluctuates and are reading the same as yours. Since I took my eggs out from under a broody that had been setting on the eggs for nearly 3 weeks and other birds kept laying in her nest when she would get out to eat, drink and poop. Now I have chicks hatching almost every day for nearly a week now. They are hatching in the incubator with the turner in it. They started hatching last Sunday and I have 7 chicks hatched so far and 11 eggs still in the incubator. If I see the eggs pipped I'll take it out and put it in the incubator set up for hatching but the last couple of chicks pipped and zipped so fast that they hatched in the incubator with the turner in it.

 

[topdycke]

Thanks cmom that is good to know. I weighed today and weight loss for the group (I put all together into a carton to weigh) is only about a half a percent greater than the ideal loss projected for a 14% change. I candled and saw development in at least half.

 

[cmom]

My chicks will be hatching over several days. Another one hatched today.

 

[JWEBB]

My chicks will be hatching over several days. Another one hatched today.

YAY!!!

 

[Arielle]

Popping in to see how everyone is doing . . .

Cmom-- I remember having a staggared hatch like that for the same reasons. lol THose girls sure like to lay in an esablished clutch.

Topdycke-- I did a bit of research before buying the LG, and the word on the street was that the temps cycle and when we read a thermomter, the temp fluctuates. It is about the averages. GIven a few runs, you will know how the readings effect your hatch. In reality the chicks tells us if the temp was a bit cold, or a bit too warm by the hatch date.

Teacher-- I understand your anxiety; you are wonderful to create this opportunity for the school children!!! Hope all goes well despite the few hiccups.

 

[Peep_Show]

Topdycke -

Don't worry about the minor temp fluctuations. Remember, in natural hatchings the hen must exit the nest a couple of times a day for food, water and relief and during those times the eggs cool down. I'd prefer to see your low at 99, but it's close enough. The only downside to a degree off is that your hatching due date may get a tad extended. (Hot eggs = early hatch; cool eggs = late hatch)

 

[HandyHubby]

A trick I've been using to help keep temps more stable is to use a "seedling mat" (for example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LVU4Y8/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

First lay down the mat, then a 12x12 floor tile, then the incubator on top.

I started doing this to help buffer the temperature swings in my house. Since we heat only with a wood stove the room temperatures can fluctuate 20+ degrees in a 24 hour period.

Since doing this the temps in the incubator have been much more stable, usually +/- 1 degree.

 

[cmom]

A trick I've been using to help keep temps more stable is to use a "seedling mat" (for example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LVU4Y8/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

First lay down the mat, then a 12x12 floor tile, then the incubator on top.

I started doing this to help buffer the temperature swings in my house. Since we heat only with a wood stove the room temperatures can fluctuate 20+ degrees in a 24 hour period.

Since doing this the temps in the incubator have been much more stable, usually +/- 1 degree.

That is a great idea...