Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[Arielle]

Yeah, I understand. When you put in eggs, you have to walk away for 12 hours, becasue in an hours the temp is dropped, and you want to up it, but the eggs aren't too temp yet. Drives me nuts too. Thats why I ordered and hatched silkies, so they can start to do this for me.

You will be there soon. Remember, they will all say different temps, take the average, and move your eggs around every other day, to keep them all incubating evenly, In an LG the ones under the heater will be ready before the others, if you don't. Some will seem early, on time, and late. My quail were 2 days late, but 2 ducks were early.

Marty I was good--I waited a day and a half for the temps to come up. THe temps stalled about 98.

I think the house temps must have decreased as the chicks in the brooder where acting cold. I lowered the heat lamp. THis lead me to how the LG might react to a slight decrease in tempeatures. The house is running about 64, below the ideal range for the LG. I hate to run the wood stove unless necessary and I think I can make it thru April without starting it. However, if I want a good hatch . . . .

Incubating is a lot of work.

 

[Marty1876]

I fianlly moved mine to my only walk in closet. Now, since the temperature hardly varies, and there are no drafts or windows, mine only requires very minor adjustments. OH, and having more eggs helps, even just a dozen none feriles help steady temps.

 

[Arielle]

I fianlly moved mine to my only walk in closet. Now, since the temperature hardly varies, and there are no drafts or windows, mine only requires very minor adjustments. OH, and having more eggs helps, even just a dozen none feriles help steady temps.

I have 3 qt sized water jars in the way!

Temps still running at 102--a slow decrease is better for the eggs than any shocking up and downs.

Read, maybe in was on this thread, that a PC fan can be located on the side of the top lid.

I think I need another hatcher. One for turkeys, one for chickens.

 

[chicksgalore]

Thanks, Arielle, I will definitely have to check into this dry incubation idea thing. I've never even heard of it until yesterday! And, no, so far I haven't gotten much into the candling thing or learned much about the air cells. I guess maybe it's time I delved into that!

 

[Arielle]

Thanks, Arielle, I will definitely have to check into this dry incubation idea thing. I've never even heard of it until yesterday! And, no, so far I haven't gotten much into the candling thing or learned much about the air cells. I guess maybe it's time I delved into that!

Primer:

Air cells are the pocket of air that develops at the big end; this big end is UP during incubation and is more porous. The eggs need to loose enough moisture to make that air cell fairly big. Eggs lose about 11-14% of their weight. Some people weigh others candle. I candle and look at the size of the air cell and compare it to the diagram in the link below. ( Use the diagram title to find another pic in just B&W for printing) I keep a diagram near the eggs at the time of candling.

Adjust the humidity to increase or decrease the speed of development.People in desert regions must add moisture or the eggs are too dry; other areas are too moist and use AC in the room of the incubator. I track the RH and my last hatch I did not add water until my first peep.

Most people have better results with dry hatching; some incubators need moisture added ( see worrell's work).


Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:

http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html
Incubation Cheat Sheet - BackYard Chickens Community


ALso look at Worrell's work on dry incubation. It is here on BYC too.

 

[jabowery]

I'm getting a much worse hatch rate this time. A few of the possible causes:

1. I relied on someone else to clean out the incubator and it wasn't really clean.
2. One of the eggs somehow got a crack in it and leaked its contents -- which smelled like the dickens.
3. This time I tended to shake the incubator harder and that might have cracked the egg that smelled like the dickens.
4. I kept shaking the incubator until day 20 and didn't up the humidity until then either. I wasn't shaking the incubator hard during the final week so if there were losses in the final days it was probably due simply to not leaving the eggs alone. I had marked the start of incubation on the calendar (March 21) but had neglected to mark on the calendar the day to stop shaking and up the humidity.
5. There was one day when I was up from 6am working on the new nesting boxes straight through till 1pm and didn't check the temperature at all during that time. It was 99.5 at 6am but It got up to 102 for a number of hours.
6. I put a lot more eggs in -- nearly 40. It may be that the longer delay time between the start of collecting eggs until the start of incubation resulted in some failures.

At present I think the hatch rate is going to top out at 1/2 or thereabouts.

 

[leirob007]

I cut a popsicle stick in half. and whittled a point on one end. made a hole in the center of it to match the thermostat stem. gives me a long pointer for really small adjustments.

 

[aukuma]

I read this thread from start to finish. Here's what I've done. I should have a hatch 4-18.

I have a still air with no fan or turner.

I started with 24 eggs, only 14 of which did anything (not all were fertile). I was adding to and removing eggs during the first week so I will have a staggered hatch.

I have both red plugs in. I have all the reservoirs full of water. I have the bator up on a pedestal so that air can circulate through those tiny holes in the top and bottom.

I have 12 eggs standing upright, fat end up, in a carton which I removed the lid and cut a large hole in the bottom of each "cup". I have two eggs laying on the wire.

I turn 3-5 times a day by hand, propping one side of the carton with a baby block alternating sides every time. I just shuffle the two laying down around.

I don't watch the temperature, I have it set at 100 and havent seen it go up (although it does go down when I open the lid) so I'm not adjusting it.

I have refilled the reservoir twice at this point and I am not watching my humidity. I plan to add water filled sponges and top off the reservoirs at lock down.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

[chick123600]

I have the Little Giant with the egg turner.

With mine I had tried three different changes. My first change was different was of humidity control. That didn't work.

My second was the fan, that helped but still no hatch.

My third change actually consisted of a few things. They were random ideas but they worked.
These changes were, one I took the egg turner out, and retried the different was of humidity control. That was putting a a bowl of water under the incubator itself where the vent holes are. I found this is only needed during hatching time. And finally I covered the top piece with duct tape. I now have development in my 5 eggs. This is the first ever with the three different tries. So I figure it is working.

One week for two eggs and two weeks for the other three.

I'll let you know if anything hatches.

 

[Arielle]

I'm getting a much worse hatch rate this time. A few of the possible causes:

1. I relied on someone else to clean out the incubator and it wasn't really clean.
2. One of the eggs somehow got a crack in it and leaked its contents -- which smelled like the dickens.
3. This time I tended to shake the incubator harder and that might have cracked the egg that smelled like the dickens.THe embryos are very delicate. TUrning methods are usually very gentle on the eggs. Perhaps design rocking eggcartons or other homemade turner.
4. I kept shaking the incubator until day 20 and didn't up the humidity until then either. I wasn't shaking the incubator hard during the final week so if there were losses in the final days it was probably due simply to not leaving the eggs alone. I had marked the start of incubation on the calendar (March 21) but had neglected to mark on the calendar the day to stop shaking and up the humidity.
5. There was one day when I was up from 6am working on the new nesting boxes straight through till 1pm and didn't check the temperature at all during that time. It was 99.5 at 6am but It got up to 102 for a number of hours.102 is ok; the hen is102, Turning is especially important the first 7 days, and important for the remaining days, just less so based on some studies
6. I put a lot more eggs in -- nearly 40. It may be that the longer delay time between the start of collecting eggs until the start of incubation resulted in some failures. Though some people so hatch 3 week old eggs, better hatchreates result from fresher eggs less than 10 days, and 7 is even better.

At present I think the hatch rate is going to top out at 1/2 or thereabouts.

You didn't mention how the girls are fed; breeders birds benefit from a better plane of nutrition, including a higher protein level and more vitamins.

You will become a topnotch hatcher at this rate. Good observation of possible problems. All things within your control to change or alter. Good job!!