All set up, what do you think?!

[mrsguardian88]

First timer here! Borrowed a Little Giant bator, set it up, added water, calibrated the hygrometer to 75% and the thermometer to 100*. Temp is now at 100*, sometimes rising a tiny bit, no more than .5 degrees. Humidity is now at a steady 60%. Both holes on top are not plugged. I have one dozen Buff Orpington and one dozen Red Sexton. Am I ready to add my eggs?! Or should I try to lower the temp a bit?

 

[brahmabreeder]

Temp. is fine. I would let the bator sit a week to watch for anything abnormal and then set. 75% RH is really high though. I would lower is to about 45% mine I let it go between 35% - 55% for the first 18 days before I start to worry.

 

[questions543]

I would lower the temp by 1.5 degrees

 

[mrsguardian88]

Just took some of the water out of the rings because I think the room I have the bator in is just naturally humid. Going to see how that works out for a while. Not sure if I can wait a week as some of these eggs were laid Thursday the 16th. The eggs are at room temperature but should I be tilting them now or waiting to turn them when they're in the bator?

 

[mrsguardian88]

Temp. is fine. I would let the bator sit a week to watch for anything abnormal and then set. 75% RH is really high though. I would lower is to about 45% mine I let it go between 35% - 55% for the first 18 days before I start to worry.

I actually calibrated the hygrometer to 75% before I started to use it, but it was a steady 60% in the bator.

 

[mrsguardian88]

So

I would lower the temp by 1.5 degrees

I should have it set at 98.5? I thought ideal temp is between 99.5 and 100.5?

 

[brahmabreeder]

Just took some of the water out of the rings because I think the room I have the bator in is just naturally humid. Going to see how that works out for a while. Not sure if I can wait a week as some of these eggs were laid Thursday the 16th. The eggs are at room temperature but should I be tilting them now or waiting to turn them when they're in the bator?

Eggs are fine up until a week before anything is affected. I tilt mine daily.

 

[mrsguardian88]

Just once daily? Should I worry if they were exposed to extreme temps before I got them home, about 8 hours in 80*+?

 

[bobbi-j]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 80* temps. You want your incubator at 99* - 100*. Sounds like you've got everything ready to go. If the temp and humidity have stayed steady for a couple of days, I'd set them. Good luck!

 

[mrsguardian88]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 80* temps. You want your incubator at 99* - 100*. Sounds like you've got everything ready to go. If the temp and humidity have stayed steady for a couple of days, I'd set them. Good luck!

Thank you!! Just a lot of trial and error! But I think I have the swing of it. I think the fact that I have three thermometers in there right now is psyching me out. I may take one out and see how close they are to each other