2014 breeding season begins, post your results

[PeepsCA]

Looking at his pics that were posted, I think birdrain is just using a run of the mill (cheapo) still air Little Giant unit... the model without a fan, and without the plastic tray liner that allows the bottom of the incubator and the water reservoirs to be easily cleaned/sanitized, etc. Even when these Little Giants are perfectly sanitized or even brand spankin' new... it's been proven ten times over that they are not the best choice for hatching any egg, let alone an extra sensitive PF egg.

IMO, the eggs Jadea lays/will lay stand a MUCH better chance of hatching in a nest hollow that she makes in the dirt in her pen and broods herself than they will if they are being set in that nasty, filthy incubator

I don't think he's going to have to worry about any staggered hatch/lock-down issues...

 

[casportpony]

[COLOR=0000FF]Looking at his pics that were posted, I think birdrain is just using a run of the mill (cheapo) still air Little Giant unit... the model without a fan, and without the plastic tray liner that allows the bottom of the incubator and the water reservoirs to be easily cleaned/sanitized, etc. Even when these Little Giants are perfectly sanitized or even brand spankin' new... it's been proven ten times over that they are not the best choice for hatching any egg, let alone an extra sensitive PF egg.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000FF]IMO, the eggs Jadea lays/will lay stand a MUCH better chance of hatching in a nest hollow that she makes in the dirt in her pen and broods herself than they will if they are being set in that nasty, filthy incubator  [/COLOR]
[COLOR=0000FF]I don't think he's going to have to worry about any staggered hatch/lock-down issues... [/COLOR]

ROFLMFAO! Gotta love a brutally honest post! He's been warned now, and maybe he'll get lucky, I sure hope so... Just wish I had that kind of luck, lol.

-Kathy

 

[GregClark38]

Looking at his pics that were posted, I think birdrain is just using a run of the mill (cheapo) still air Little Giant unit... the model without a fan, and without the plastic tray liner that allows the bottom of the incubator and the water reservoirs to be easily cleaned/sanitized, etc. Even when these Little Giants are perfectly sanitized or even brand spankin' new... it's been proven ten times over that they are not the best choice for hatching any egg, let alone an extra sensitive PF egg.

IMO, the eggs Jadea lays/will lay stand a MUCH better chance of hatching in a nest hollow that she makes in the dirt in her pen and broods herself than they will if they are being set in that nasty, filthy incubator

I don't think he's going to have to worry about any staggered hatch/lock-down issues...

What kind of incubator do you use? What are some good ones? Thanks.

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL I didn't mean to be brutal... but honest, yes. I've personally been thru the ringer with several different kinds and styles of incubators over the years hatching hundreds and hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of Guinea eggs, which are some of the easiest/heartiest eggs to hatch... but even with a brand new (and OCD cleansed) Dickey cabinet incubator I sill have less than perfect hatch rates with my Guinea, Turkey, Silkie/Showgirl, Coturnix Quail AND Peafowl eggs. Odds are already against artificially incubated eggs as it is, I just can't understand why anyone with even a decent shred of common sense would add the obvious bacterial contamination into the mix

I think I'll sit down and be quiet now, you can have your stick back Kathy, lol.

 

[casportpony]

[COLOR=0000FF]LOL I didn't mean to be brutal... but honest, yes. I've personally been thru the ringer with several different kinds and styles of incubators over the years hatching hundreds and hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of Guinea eggs, which are some of the easiest/heartiest eggs to hatch... but even with a brand new (and OCD cleansed) Dickey cabinet incubator I sill have less than perfect hatch rates with my Guinea, Turkey, Silkie/Showgirl, Coturnix Quail AND Peafowl eggs. [/COLOR][COLOR=0000FF]Odds are already against artificially incubated eggs as it is, I just can't understand why anyone with even a decent shred of common sense would add the obvious bacterial contamination into the mix  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000FF]I think I'll sit down and be quiet now, you can have your stick back  Kathy, lol. [/COLOR][COLOR=0000FF] [/COLOR]

I prefer brutally honest, that's one of the things I miss about my old horse vet, lol. I know you aren't trying to be mean and people like me would rather not have advice sugar coated.

Not pea related, but did I read that you also have horses?

-Kathy

 

[PeepsCA]

What kind of incubator do you use? What are some good ones? Thanks.

I started out with 2 Hovabator Genesus 1588s to incubate in (with auto egg turners) then I added a couple of cheapo still air Little Giants that I added PC fans to to hatch in, because I was super anal about hatching in my 1588s and getting them all yucked out, lol (plus I always had staggered ongoing hatches happening). I've since graduated to a new Dickey cabinet incubator with all the bells and whistles (just incubating), and now I do all of my hatching in a rebuilt GQF cabinet 5 tray hatcher.

There are lots of good quality incubators andhatchers out there (such as R-Coms and Brinseas) depending on your budget and hatching plans... but IMO the Little Giant company should stick to just manufacturing feeders, waterers and buckets only, not incubators! They disappoint a lot of people/kill a lot of eggs

 

[DylansMom]

I started out with 2 Hovabator Genesus 1588s to incubate in (with auto egg turners) then I added a couple of cheapo still air Little Giants that I added PC fans to to hatch in, because I was super anal about hatching in my 1588s and getting them all yucked out, lol (plus I always had staggered ongoing hatches happening). I've since graduated to a new Dickey cabinet incubator with all the bells and whistles (just incubating), and now I do all of my hatching in a rebuilt GQF cabinet 5 tray hatcher.

There are lots of good quality incubators andhatchers out there (such as R-Coms and Brinseas) depending on your budget and hatching plans... but IMO the Little Giant company should stick to just manufacturing feeders, waterers and buckets only, not incubators! They disappoint a lot of people/kill a lot of eggs

Funny you should say that, I have the hovabator genesis 1588 and I love it. It has worked great for me, but the auto-turner's arms all snapped off the third day they were in operation. Now I am the auto-turner and I am the same way, nothing has ever even pipped in my genesis, way too much trouble to get that clean, everything hatches in a little octagon thingy all plastic and easy to soak in bleach water. I have heard lots of "bad" about the little giants.

 

[PeepsCA]

I prefer brutally honest, that's one of the things I miss about my old horse vet, lol. I know you aren't trying to be mean and people like me would rather not have advice sugar coated.

Not pea related, but did I read that you also have horses?

-Kathy

Yep, I'm a Horsey Girl... wanna go riding? LOL.

I dont' show or anything (I did compete in a lot of Gymkhanas as a kid, and I beat everyone on with my 14.1 hh Palomino Paint mare in the pony class, so I got hated on fast, lol). I have owned, trained and ridden all my life.... I also tie my own custom rope halters and leads and sell those locally. And not to give away my age (lol) but I've been on horses since I was 3... I used to get a lead rope, sneak out and make reins on the halter, hop on and ride my aunt's evil little mean bully of a POA all over the place, (and freak my poor gramma out bigtime, lol). Got my first horse when I was 7 (the Palomino Paint) and haven't looked back since. Grew up on horseback, riding all over the Mendocino Coast... beach and redwoods, Now I'm inland, and old, and don't ride much

 

[mandyok]

I have always used a little giant incubator and had success with just about any egg I have tried in it. I do keep it very clean and add water glasses to it to regulate the humidity. I have two temp/humidity gauges in it and keep it closed and in my spare bedroom where it does not have great temp changes, so maybe that is why I have had good luck with it so far. I am wanting a large cabinet incubator but just don't have the extra money for the nice one I want. I also have a hovabator for the hatch outs or another little giant if my hovabator is full. This is my first year with pea eggs. So I will have to see if it does ok with these.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote: I loved (and still love my Hovabator 1588s) and always recommend them to any newbies that are first starting out with incubating (usually in the Guinea Fowl section tho)... but I have had zero luck with Peafowl eggs in mine, trying 2 yrs in a row now. With as busy as I am, I have a really hard time with keeping up on the hand turning, so I am sure that's the issue. I discovered that (if you can) once you "go cabinet"... life is good (or at least easier), lol.