THE Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco Thread; Hatches, etc. (PICS)

[scflock]

My Octagon 20 eco got really loud for a minute and the red light went off.  Now seems fine.  Has anyone else had this happen?

It will run louder while the heating element is on and the incubator is warming up. It quiets down once it reaches temperature

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would really normally read through this stuff instead of ask, but im in a jamb here. I have the brinsea octagon 20 eco with automatic turner. First time hatcher here. I ran it for 2 days prior to getting my eggs. it said 99.5. good to go!  It came with a separate temp and humidity gadget to put inside along with the bulb thermometer. Ok! I get my eggs, very important eggs non the less. Get the bator up and running on Friday, it holds the 99.5 mark for 24 hours. I put in the eggs and it plummets to 97. ok, give it awhile to catch back up right? so I did. it went to 98.7 and would not get any higher. I adjusted the temp with the screw and it went up to 100.7. dang it. so I got it to 99.5. cool! then check and it keeps fluctuating. As the thing is turning on the automatic turner the thermometer is changing !!!!!!! what do I do, is this right? HELPPP!!!! I am on day 2. and im crying so hard. I do not want to mess these Sultan eggs up.

I sent you a PM, but I'll copy and paste it here when I get to the PC. What you are describing is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about

 

[scflock]

This is the PM I sent Fishnet, just in case anyone else is experiencing the same thing:

Totally normal. You are right, the temperature fluctuates as the incubator rolls back and forth. Fresh air is drawn in through the bottom, so there is always cooler air being drawn in, and it swirls around the incubator. No one spot is going to be a constant 99.5. I have 2 20s, and for both of them I measure temps anywhere from 98.5-100.8. What I do is take readings in as many places as I can, then take an average of all those temperatures and adjust to that. I ended up setting both of mine at 100.0, and have spectacular hatches.
What I recommend for your first run is to leave it set at 99.5. That is a safe temperature to test at. If you don't have pips until day 21, and your hatch drags into days 22 and 23, then bump up to 100.0. I also like to rotate the entire egg tray 180 degrees every 4 or 5 days when I add water. One side seems to be consistently warmer than the other, and rotating the tray averages that out.
I promise you, slight variations in the temperature are absolutely nothing to worry about

 

[RubyNala97]

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would really normally read through this stuff instead of ask, but im in a jamb here. I have the brinsea octagon 20 eco with automatic turner. First time hatcher here. I ran it for 2 days prior to getting my eggs. it said 99.5. good to go!  It came with a separate temp and humidity gadget to put inside along with the bulb thermometer. Ok! I get my eggs, very important eggs non the less. Get the bator up and running on Friday, it holds the 99.5 mark for 24 hours. I put in the eggs and it plummets to 97. ok, give it awhile to catch back up right? so I did. it went to 98.7 and would not get any higher. I adjusted the temp with the screw and it went up to 100.7. dang it. so I got it to 99.5. cool! then check and it keeps fluctuating. As the thing is turning on the automatic turner the thermometer is changing !!!!!!! what do I do, is this right? HELPPP!!!! I am on day 2. and im crying so hard. I do not want to mess these Sultan eggs up.

As WV said, those temps are okay! I just got the 20 this winter and mine did not fluctuate as it rotated, that I noticed. Also, it can take awhile (a few hours) for the temp to regulate after you adjust it. But running anywhere from 99-101 will not hurt the eggs. Are these shipped eggs or local?

This is the PM I sent Fishnet, just in case anyone else is experiencing the same thing:

Totally normal. You are right, the temperature fluctuates as the incubator rolls back and forth. Fresh air is drawn in through the bottom, so there is always cooler air being drawn in, and it swirls around the incubator. No one spot is going to be a constant 99.5. I have 2 20s, and for both of them I measure temps anywhere from 98.5-100.8. What I do is take readings in as many places as I can, then take an average of all those temperatures and adjust to that. I ended up setting both of mine at 100.0, and have spectacular hatches.

What I recommend for your first run is to leave it set at 99.5. That is a safe temperature to test at. If you don't have pips until day 21, and your hatch drags into days 22 and 23, then bump up to 100.0. I also like to rotate the entire egg tray 180 degrees every 4 or 5 days when I add water. One side seems to be consistently warmer than the other, and rotating the tray averages that out.

I promise you, slight variations in the temperature are absolutely nothing to worry about

How did you know that I was wondering what your pm said??!!

 

[scflock]

I have the eco myself and I have the same temp fluctuation issues. Mine will swing a half a degree or so while turning. Also I see a change in the bator temp when the temp in my house changes. When it's 67 in the house, it will drop to 99.0 and when the house is up around 73 it goes up to 100 in the bator. I am constantly fiddling with the red screw to keep it close to 99.5. Why won't this little bator just hold steady???????

I have better hatches near 100.0 than I do at 99.0. You will drive yourself crazy chasing minute adjustments. Like WV said, the average temp is the goal, and those minor swings as the heating element pulses are not a big deal at all. If your average is between 99.5 and 100.0, I wouldn't touch it

 

[angelikimarie]

Just set 24 eggs in my brinsea octagon 20 for the first time on Thursday, Temp holding great so far, haven't candled yet. Love the auto turner, makes life easier. I set 7 in my brinsea mini yesterday. Only got 1 out of 9 last time... We shall see what happens.

 

[WVduckchick]

For those just starting incubating, or anyone just wanting to share hatching information and techniques, the link below is a wonderful thread. Many knowledgeable members frequent it, so if you have incubating questions or issues, its a great resource. Its very long, so feel free to just jump right in!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-right-whos-wrong-no-one/32230#post_16619679

 

[WVduckchick]

Just set 24 eggs in my brinsea octagon 20 for the first time on Thursday, Temp holding great so far, haven't candled yet. Love the auto turner, makes life easier. I set 7 in my brinsea mini yesterday. Only got 1 out of 9 last time... We shall see what happens.

Good luck! You may want to join the thread I just linked! Let us know how it goes!

 

[scflock]

For those just starting incubating, or anyone just wanting to share hatching information and techniques, the link below is a wonderful thread. Many knowledgeable members frequent it, so if you have incubating questions or issues, its a great resource. Its very long, so feel free to just jump right in!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-right-whos-wrong-no-one/32230#post_16619679

And it can be fun when the frawgs start hopping

 

[WVduckchick]

And it can be fun when the frawgs start hopping

I'm trying to be nice.

 

[scflock]

I'm trying to be nice.