Brinsea Eco 20 questions and other general incubation questions

[farmgirl44]

Ok,i have my incubator set up and I have a digital thermoter/hygrometer setting on top of the eggs and the probe setting in between two eggs in the center. My temperature on the thermometer itself says 99.5, but the probe is cooler, 96. The thermometer (glass) that came with the brinsea is hooked onto the top and it also reads 99.5. My question is which one do I trust and go with??

Also, I have my humidity at 50%, is this ok? or should i open up the bator and try to add some more felt?? i have used felt pieces to wick up the water from the two grooves in the bottom of the brinsea, i read that tip on another thread. in order to add the felt, i have to take all the eggs out of the bator.

ok, brinsea 20 question. how far do you turn the incubator?? i have been only turning it one side, then center, then one other side, all this spaced out over a day. is this what you do?? or do you turn it more than that?

does anyone else stack in their brinsea? i have 30 eggs in it now, with 6 of those being stacked on the top. i have been hand turning them before tilting the incubator. is this what everyone else does?

sorry for all the questions. i'm just new to the whole incubating thing and i want to get everything right and hatch some beautiful babies!

 

[namastemama]

Humidity seems a tad high, I never go by the Brinsea thermometer.

 

[Azriel]

Hi, first off, good luck with your hatch. How far along are your eggs, if they have just been set I think that 50% humidity is too high. I do fairly dry hatches, between 20-30% then the last 3-4 days raise it 50-60%. Unless I'm hatching Marans, then the humidity has to be higher. I have never used the probe, I have a cheep gage I got at WalMart that tells both temp and humidity and sits inside with the eggs. If you have 2 temps reading 99.5 I'd trust that. I have stacked in my eco20, and it sounds like your doing fine turning it, but also move the eggs around in the bater so your moving the top ones down and others up each time you tilt the bater, and as you candle and toss eggs, you will have more room. Are you hatching in a carton or with the egg racks. A 24 egg carton fits great, I have always hatched in cartons, you just use the bottom half, and have to cut out some of the bottom of the egg cups for better air circulation.
I just set 96 eggs last night

I have 24 in my eco20, and 72 in my Hovabator 1588, then I have 36 eggs comming next Sat. so I'll be stacking for a while also. The Eco20 is a good little bater, it was my 1st bator, but I really prefer the 1588, more room, and I think it holds temp and humidity better. One other thing, when adding water, make sure its warm, cold water will cool off the bator
Happy hatching, and Merry Christmas.

 

[farmgirl44]

WOW! 96?? That's a ton of eggies!! What kinds?

Im using the egg rails. I'm glad I'm doing everything right, I hope at least one of each kind hatches.

 

[Pancholoco]

Quote: 72 in a1588 that's a lot of eggs, What kind. I just hatched quails in the 1588 works really good.