ARGH!!!! Incubator HELP!!!!

kzane23

Chirping
6 Years
Feb 22, 2013
289
12
93
Northern NM
I just bought a Little Giant 10300 with the digital thermometer and humidity monitor and alot of the reviews say it has temp issues! I have a second temp/humidity monitor in there and the temps are way off and so is the humidity!!!! The LG says 99.1 F and 41% (no water in it yet...) and the second meter says 97.7 F and 14%!!!!!!!! i dont want to put eggs in if they are just going to die!!!!
 
The lg is a bit tricky! I try not to over think it. I am doing my second hatch and bought a thermometer/humidity reader at Walmart and I add water through a straw in the air holes. Mine reads 50-60% humidity and 99 degrees. I pay more attention to the humidity at lockdown. I always put sponges in the bottom to hold the water more efficiently. My first hatch only yielded 5 out of 18, but those were shipped eggs and I think that had a lot to do with it.
I'm on day 7 and I hadn't seen any veins in the Americana eggs on day 4, but I looked at them last night and they are really heavy and I can't see anything in them but the air cell, and they did not look like that at day 4. So it looks like I have chicks developing in at least 8 of the 12. Fingers crossed!
 
My first bator was an LG. I was so stressed every time I incubated. And since I am a meddler I constantly felt like I had to babysit it and mess with the temp.

First, don't rely on what the temp or humidity on my bator says... they are known to be wrong. You need to make sure that you have a reliable thermometer... (haha - that's what everyone is eternally searching for!) Everyone has this problem... how do you know that your thermometer is right? I don't have a super expensive one... it is one that I got from Incubator Warehouse for about $20. There was some concern that it may not be right so they sent me a second... they are both within 1/2 a degree of each other and I have checked them and feel that they are probably pretty accurate. They also has a hygrometer built in... this is where they differ a little more (they are off of each other by almost 10%). But the humidity is less of a concern in my opinion. I run dry and shoot for 30%-35% during days 1-17 and then 75% during lock down. I use my hygrometer as a starting point and then just really keep an eye on my air cells.

If you can I would splurge a little and get 2 good thermometers. I really think they will be worth their weight in gold. I say to get 2 so that you can get a "range" If you get 2 decent thermometers, chances are they still won't read exactly the same but if they are within 1/2 degree I think you can be pretty certain that they are "close" and then set your bator based on that. This is what I do. Good luck.
 
My first bator was an LG. I was so stressed every time I incubated. And since I am a meddler I constantly felt like I had to babysit it and mess with the temp.

First, don't rely on what the temp or humidity on my bator says... they are known to be wrong. You need to make sure that you have a reliable thermometer... (haha - that's what everyone is eternally searching for!) Everyone has this problem... how do you know that your thermometer is right? I don't have a super expensive one... it is one that I got from Incubator Warehouse for about $20. There was some concern that it may not be right so they sent me a second... they are both within 1/2 a degree of each other and I have checked them and feel that they are probably pretty accurate. They also has a hygrometer built in... this is where they differ a little more (they are off of each other by almost 10%). But the humidity is less of a concern in my opinion. I run dry and shoot for 30%-35% during days 1-17 and then 75% during lock down. I use my hygrometer as a starting point and then just really keep an eye on my air cells.

If you can I would splurge a little and get 2 good thermometers. I really think they will be worth their weight in gold. I say to get 2 so that you can get a "range" If you get 2 decent thermometers, chances are they still won't read exactly the same but if they are within 1/2 degree I think you can be pretty certain that they are "close" and then set your bator based on that. This is what I do. Good luck.
I agree, but that is given since we do things the same....lol


The nice thing with running dry (or low humidity incubation) and monitoring your air cells is even if your hygrometer is off, you still know how to adjust by the size and growth of the aircells. I use three thermometers, one on each side and one in the middle (as long as I have the room). They usually read w/in a degree, Often w/in degrees to the tenth. As long as they read above 99 and below 101 I don't mess with it.
I do highly recommend a low humidity incubation for the styro bators especially.
 

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