1st time hatching advice in a GQF Sportsman

[Emptywagon2]

I have a GQF Sportsman & I plan on setting about 50-60 chicken eggs on Jan. 1st. I need all the advice I can get. I have raised 1 day old chicks & know enough about the brooding part. I just need advice on hatching. So far, I am having trouble getting my temps set...what is the best way to achieve a good temp? Is it better to do a dry hatch for the first 18 day, then add water? Or should I add water from the beginning? What is the best temp for a hatch in a sportsman?

All advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

[chickensinwasillaAK]

've got a sportsman also, I set it at 99.5 and leave it alone. Now we're pretty dry here so I had to keep the water pretty full just to reach 35%, I could have put in a wafer to increase it. I have no trouble keeping temps but I have a stable enviorment for it where the temp in the room doesn't change.

Set up your unit, turn it on for a few hours and see what the humidity reads. Watch the temps also. You didn't mention if you have a wafer or digital thermostat but if you have a wafer, it's harder to get accurate then the new digital.

Get stabilized, put in your eggs and activate the turner. Now sit back for a week and relax.

 

[Emptywagon2]

Oh sorry..I have a wafer that backs up the electronic(?) thermostat.. It has a small trun knob on the side to adjust the temp...My problem is that I can't get it set. It either reads 96.6 or 100.2. I try to make very small adjustments to it but it always go too low or too high...I would be happy with 98.5...but can't even get close to that much less the 99.5 it is suppose to read. The incubator is in my kid's playroom ( they are older & know not to mess with mom's new toy...HAHA!) I have the air/heating unit out there set on 60 because I read that is better to store the eggs before hatching them. Would movement cause the temps to be inconsistant? The flooring is pier & beam and the kids to a lot of running out there but not at the same end as the incubator. I know am rambling but I am trying to think of everything before I set the eggs. Thanks

 

[dickhorstman]

When all else fails, read the instructions.

 

[quailmale]

Quote:
I have the digital so it's dead on BUT I have freinds that have the wafer type they if they cannot get the temps where they need it they set it on the high side and remove one of the breather plugs to allow more air flow and this usually drops it. I f removing it is to much then go ahead and remove it and tape a piece of paper over it and move it back and forth till you get the right amount of flow. Hope this helps. Merry CHRISTMAS !!!!!

 

[free_loader]

the wafer in the gqf is only for a backup... you should set it at 102... to do this turn the electronic thermostat all the way up... and see how hot it gets... if it stops before hitting 102 adjsut your wafer a bit and watch the temp increase, and repeat until it stops at 102

if it goes over 102 adjust the wafer the other direction and open the door for a sec to cool down the bator and see if it goes over 102 again... if it does dial the wafer back a little more and repeat until you get it to stay around 102

NOW .. once you've got the wafer set at 102 turn your electronic thermostat down, open the door to let it cool to around 95 and close the door again... now watch the light & the thermometer at the same time and slowly adjust the electroc thermostat until you get it balanced at 99.5


an easy way to tell what thermostat is controlling them temp is to watch the light... if it's flashing quickly as it reaches temp its the electronic thermostat working.. and that's what you want, it'll hold the temp dead on ... however if the light just clicks off as it reaches temp it's your wafer thermometer, and if that happens below 102 it's set too low.

 

[Mahonri]

I just wish I had one of these bators.

you are blessed.

 

[deerman]

I have 6 GQF sportman....some have both thermostats as wafer , other one of each.

free loader ...is correct on setting the temp, but i have my 2nd one kicking off at 101....

Would not dry hatch in them....the higher wattage heating unit would dry it out way to much.

 

[bairo]

free loader offers very good advice. In addition you are making the thermostat and heating unit work very hard getting it to balance when the ambient temp is only 60.

 

[Emptywagon2]

Quote:
Haha...if only it was that easy... My incubator is used..no instructions included. However, I have read the online instructions for several models ( The original owner couldn't remember what model it was and there is no marking on the incubator). I believe it is a 1266 model. I have tried to set it up per the instructions read but still not having any luck.


The original owner says that the wafer stat is set at 102 but when testing as posted by freeloader.. the temps in the bator rose to 108.3.

Can someone explain how the back-up wafer stat works? Does it only kick on if the electronic one does work?

I'm going to get another thermometer to double check temps.