Anyone who hatches in a Little Giant

[ginbart]

Quote:
Why did you think you fried the little guys?

 

[RoostersCrow]

Quote:
The link to SpeckledHen's bator points to the dry hatch page. Should it be ?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=43984

 

[RoostersCrow]

Quote:
Hi Zookeeper,

I plan to make the handle from music wire or bamboo skewer. I want it long enough and low enough to the foam that once I get it set I can put hat pins/straight pins on each side so it can't drift from the fan vibration. That is what I believe causes it to drift enough that I have to tweek it every couple of days now. My basement is totally draft free and room temp is very stable.

On the fan... I plan to look at Radio Shack and see if there may be a suitable low cost alternative to those ~$40 kits.

Regards....

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Thanks George your right I got the wrong link there sorry everyone. One of those days here.

I can't wait to see that handle and it makes sense that the vibration would work that little thing loose.

Can't wait to see it.

 

[mcg30_40]

I've done 2 batches in the LG9200 still air and got a 75% or better hatch rate on each. I'm loading it to the hilts (48 -50) eggs each time. I don't have a turner and some days they get turned twice somedays it's only once. My temps range between 98 and 102 on most days. I tell the eggs that sometimes the hen falls asleep on them and sometimes she gets hungry and goes to feed...lol I have no complaints with the incubator!

 

[RoostersCrow]

Hi Zookeeper (and anyone else interested...)

Your interest and the fact that I was candling this weekend anyway inspired me to go ahead and do that thermostat knob modification we were talking about.

1. I started with about a 2 1/2" piece of good, stiff, reasonably straight bailing wire. A large paper clip straightened out could work also.

2. Using some needle nose pliers I put a 90 degree bend in one end of the wire making about a 1/8" long leg... Like an out of proportion letter "L"

3. I drilled a 1/16" hole in the top of the knob. I had planned to go about 1/8" deep into the knob but found out the knob was hollow so it went through the knob top. (You noted your knob already had a hole for a screw so you can just skip this step.

4. I used a small file to cut a little notch into the top of the knob about 1/16" deep running from that hole outward across the knob. This made a little recess for the wire to lay in. This step is not essential but it will make the glue joint stronger.

5. I put the small leg of the bent wire into the hole, checked the length of the wire and trimmed as needed to make sure it could swing all the way around, clearing the bator power cord but still extending over the styrofoam in any direction needed.

6. I placed a drop each of thick CA glue (super glue) on the wire end, the hole and the notch. I let that dry and then applied several more drops on the assembly to build it up abit.

The end result...

I have a less sensitive adjustment handle and a way to pin it in place once I get it set. Now if I see a temperature shift I will know it is related to the limited precision of the thermostat and not related to an adjustment knob moving.

Regards...

 

[Zookeeper9000]

George
are you sure you are not going to be near me so that you could fix me up with a handle LOL all kidding aside I am going to have to try that thanks so much again for all your help.

 

[RoostersCrow]

Hi Jean,

Any help I can be to anyone makes my days better so you are more than welcome. I don't think I will be in your area though. I'm originally a MO boy and had some relatives in MI as a kid but they are gone now. Last time I was in MI was about 35 years ago. Not expecting another trip soon.

I'll probably add one more post to this thread to let folks know if the handle truly does eliminate the need to "tweak" it every few days. Ever since I started using he LG that has been a common thing and was somewhat annoying. As I said, I bellieved it was the fan vibration causing it to drift.

Regards and best of luck....

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I am hoping you let us know because if that works I will be reworking mine LOL Thank you again for all your help Happy Hatching

 

[RoostersCrow]

OK it has been three days since I modified that adjustment knob. So far I have seen the temp vary from 99.1 to 100.2 after pinning that knob in place. During this time we have been seeing some pretty wide swings in temperature (down to 29 at night and 65 in the day). My incubator is in our unheated basement. Temps stay pretty cool and can get a bit chilly at night but no drafts. It was quite cold and frosty outside this AM which is when I saw the low temp of 99.1 I did notice that the basement felt distinctly chilly this AM.

I am satisfied that I have done as much as I can at this point and that there is not any thermostat problem per-se. It is easier to make fine adjustment using the wire knob extension. I think it is a matter of the low thermal mass of the incubator and the variance in the room temps. A location with tighter ambient temp control over the day would probably tighten things up a bit. My wife, however, still prefers the incubator in the basement.