Need first time incubating advice

[bitsy101]

Hi everyone. Just received my new hovabator 1588 this morning. Have filled it with water and added automatic turner and put the top on. So far everything is working properly and the temp is around 100 and holding steady. My question is when can I add the eggs. Do I need to let the incubator set for a day or so to make sure the temp is holding and everything is working properly. When I collected eggs yesterday evening I had half what I need to fill it so I was going to have enough this evening when I collect todays eggs. Do the eggs need to set a day or two before you add them to the incubator or do you need to put them in as soon as possible? Just thought I would ask you guys the correct procedure to start incubating. Am a newbie and this will be my first time to use an incubator. I have RIR, BO,BA,and a speckled sussex mix in the eggs I have saved. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ebear82]

I would let your incubator sit for a day to make sure the temp. is staying where it needs to be. Your eggs will be okay until then. I put some eggs into my current hatch that sat out for 12 days

before I put them in and they are developing! I also put some in straight from the nest box and they're developing too. Good luck!

 

[Penturner]

I would also let it set for at least 24 hours. check it every hour or so and see if you get any temp swings at any particular time of the day or night. it may be the room is getting warmer than normal at some point in the day or it cools off at night. It actually took me about a week of running my home made bator before I got all the little quirks figured out but keep in mind that included things like getting the thermostat positioned just right and that sort of thing. I have it in my heated and insulated wood shop and by the time I got all the mechanics polished I had a pretty good idea just when I needed to go out and open a window or when to expect a slight temp drop. I got it to stay between 99.6 and 100.2 degrees 24 hours around the clock. Don't be to anxious do try and fix what seems like a problem. let the bator set for a couple hours even if you think the temp is to high. it may fall back on it's own. it seems to me there is a break in period for some parts certainly the thermostat. I then ran mine for three solid days making no adjustments before I thought it was safe to set eggs in it. only then did I order eggs. But again I was checking to see if I had any weak points in my design so this would not necessarily apply in your situation.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

My advice it to gather today's eggs and even tomorrow's if you need a few more. Then set them tomorrow night 3/31 but count day one as being 4/1. April fool's day. Go ahead and leave the incubator plugged in the whole time.

Your eggs will be due on 4/21.

 

[bitsy101]

Thanks ya'll that will give me a place to start. I'll probably wait until tomorrow evening and set the eggs if everything stays as stable as it is right now. I put the incubator in my computer room where there isn't much traffic and temperature changes. Besides that is where I am half of the time so I will be able to keep better track of what is going on. Do I need to invest in a good hygrometer. That's the only reading I'm not sure of. Where is the best place to purchase one? Is this model hovabator good at regulating the humidity too? Thanks for the help.

 

[bitsy101]

You know what Majestic Farm I kind of like the idea of having an April Fools hatch.Sounds kind of neat. I'll have to go see if anyone else is doing it and needs a hatch partner.Thanks