tips and secrets of the GQF 1502 sportsman...

[curious chickee]

I think if you use your cabinet to hatch the key is only one hatch a week. I stagger my setting of eggs to every 10 days, allows for proper egg moisture loss during incubation.

 

[old blue]

I have been getting about 80-90% hatches using my cabinet for both. I have it at 30-40% during incubation, then 50% first day lock down goes up to 70% at hatching.

Thanks so much im going to try that.

 

[nkts]

Are your styrofoam hatching incubators still-air, or forced air? I recently hatched quail eggs in a still-air styrofoam incubator, but my chicken eggs would not hatch. I have a still-air styrofoam incubator, a forced air styrofoam incubator, and a new GQF 1502 Sportsman duel incubator/hatcher.

I want to hatch my chicken eggs in a styrofoam incubator, but am concerned about the airflow in regards to still-air versus forced air. I also commend your incubation and hatcher setup, so I know you can suggest the best styrofoam incubator for hatching chicks.

The temperature was too low for reliable incubation in the styrofoam incubators, but I am inclined to believe that hatching should work well. I found that the dead chicks did not absorb their yolk sac properly. It was terrible to see a fully developed chick with a large amount of yolk sac hanging from the abdomen.

I had a 50%> hatch rate for shipped quail eggs on my first hatch with a still-air incubator, with automated turning only half of the incubation period. I was not sure if the airflow had stressed chick development in still-air styrofoam incubators prior to lock-down, as I had many eggs that showed development but eventually quit over and over again.

On a different topic, I was a bit shocked to learn that the older GQF incubators were made with more durable materials. Kind of a ripoff nowadays. I wonder if the digital temperature control is the biggest difference between new and old models?

 

[cmom]

Oops wrong thread

 

[JetCat]

Are your styrofoam hatching incubators still-air, or forced air? I recently hatched quail eggs in a still-air styrofoam incubator, but my chicken eggs would not hatch. I have a still-air styrofoam incubator, a forced air styrofoam incubator, and a new GQF 1502 Sportsman duel incubator/hatcher.

I want to hatch my chicken eggs in a styrofoam incubator, but am concerned about the airflow in regards to still-air versus forced air. I also commend your incubation and hatcher setup, so I know you can suggest the best styrofoam incubator for hatching chicks.

The temperature was too low for reliable incubation in the styrofoam incubators, but I am inclined to believe that hatching should work well. I found that the dead chicks did not absorb their yolk sac properly. It was terrible to see a fully developed chick with a large amount of yolk sac hanging from the abdomen.

I had a 50%> hatch rate for shipped quail eggs on my first hatch with a still-air incubator, with automated turning only half of the incubation period. I was not sure if the airflow had stressed chick development in still-air styrofoam incubators prior to lock-down, as I had many eggs that showed development but eventually quit over and over again.

On a different topic, I was a bit shocked to learn that the older GQF incubators were made with more durable materials. Kind of a ripoff nowadays. I wonder if the digital temperature control is the biggest difference between new and old models?

i keep a Styrofoam Hova-bator 1602n around just for hatching small sets, it's a forced air and it hatches everything i've put in it without any issues........quail/pheasants/chukar/turkey/ducks/chickens/emu/etc.......

as far as the older vs newer GQF cabinet materials, the poly sheet the new styles are made out of is far superior then the old plywood. it's a lot easier to clean and keep clean and you don't ever have to worry about moisture issues. I've got 2 wood 1500s (no hatching area), 1 wood 1502 and a new 1502. all three wood models have digital thermostats (not the command center), i much prefer them over the two wafer setup, the temp has NO fluctuation at all what so ever with them, the digital command center offers a few nice bells and whistles over the digital thermostat but most owners don't even know about them nor use them.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
My sportsman is an older one. It originally had 2 wafer thermostats. We replaced one of the wafers with an electronic thermostat. I love my old sportsman and it does a great job incubating.

 

[JetCat]

My sportsman is an older one. It originally had 2 wafer thermostats. We replaced one of the wafers with an electronic thermostat. I love my old sportsman and it does a great job incubating.

you have the 'deluxe multi turn', it's a better thermostat then the 'electronic thermostat', i've got one of the multi and two of the electronic, the multi turn is a lot easier to dial in to the exact temp as it's a much finer adjustment.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Question for all who use the 1588 to hatch in. I still have eggs in mine & it's only day 22 but the water stinks so bad from all the previous hatched eggs. Any solution???

 

[duluthralphie]

Question for all who use the 1588 to hatch in. I still have eggs in mine & it's only day 22 but the water stinks so bad from all the previous hatched eggs. Any solution???

Do you disinfect and clean between hatchings?

It only takes 15 minutes, the eggs can sit on the table long enough to clean it.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Do you disinfect and clean between hatchings?

It only takes 15 minutes, the eggs can sit on the table long enough to clean it.

Yes I wash with dawn and rinse well & disinfect with Oxine after each hatch.

I can take the eggs out its day 23? And clean?