Brower Top Hatch Incubator HELP!!!

[isfake55]

This is my first time incubating, I bought 2 brower top hatch incubators brand new at the local farm store. One I filled with 16 goose eggs, the other with 32 duck eggs. So far everything seems to be working fine, until I read up on the top hatch, apparently the light is supposed to turn on and off, mine just stays on and the temp is at 99.5 is this because they are newer models or do I have a problem? Also both machines make different sounds when turning which makes me crazy because I'm already nervous enough w/out the added worry that the eggs aren't turning correctly. I keep watching the little white turning hand underneath the unit to make sure it's in a different position, that's how I'm figuring out that it's turning. I'm also confused about the water situation I fill the line that wraps around the interior of the tray with water 2 times a week, is that enough, too much?? There is so many differing perspectives on the internet and the brower website is AWFUL!! Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Ceilismom]

I would say that as long as the temp is staying steady at 99.5, don't worry about it, just keep an eye on it. I just finished my very first incubation ever on Saturday with a Top Hatch. I had some thermometer problems (I think if I had just paid attention to the thermometer that came with the incubator instead of the digital thermo/hygrometer combo, I'd have been better off), but still got 5 chicks out of 13 eggs that I started with. Part of the time, the incubator was on constantly, part of the time it flickered, and part of the time, it would switch on and off every 30 seconds or so. It's spring here, and the outside temps have fluctuated wildly.

If you mark an "X" on one side of an egg, and an "O" on the other, you should be able to tell that the eggs are turning, simply by looking at them throughout the day. If the slot on the bottom of the tub is in the groove on the turner, you should be fine, but it's nice to know for sure.

As far as humidity, get a hygrometer, calibrate it (just do a search here for how to do that) and then you'll be able to relax about that. For lockdown, I had to add some damp paper towels to the incubator (directly under the vent holes, so I could drip more water onto them as needed) to get the humidity up where it needed to be. I know there are some differences between incubating chicken eggs and waterfowl eggs (some people allow to cool for a time, and mist them with water daily) but that's not a topic I really know about.