First Time Hatching - incubator edition

[aart]

( what it’s reading, anyways. I don’t have any thermometer or hydrometer )

Get some extras and test/calibrate them.
Temp is the number one aspect to good hatches.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

 

[cluckingheck]

Get some extras and test/calibrate them.
Temp is the number one aspect to good hatches.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

I’m probably gonna have to order some and hope they come on time. I’m being quarantined right now ( thanks to a certain C word ), so I can’t go anywhere right now.

 

[cluckingheck]

Found a thermometer laying around and it seems accurate? Just sucks it doesn’t read out in 99.5

 

[cluckingheck]

Anyone use this incubator before? I feel like it’s almost as old as I am...
Would I have to set it to 100 since it’s a still air?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Anyone use this incubator before? I feel like it’s almost as old as I am...
Would I have to set it to 100 since it’s a still air?

Yes, I have used this incubator as well (I know, I have a problem, lol) I don't love it BUT you can have successful hatches with it. I highly recommend rotating the eggs around the incubator daily to make up for hot and cold spots. For me personally, I placed several thermometers around the incubator to then decide what temperature to set it at. I did settle on 100F making for the most consistent temps close to 99.5 but there are spots that I avoided because they were too cold or too hot for what I like and I'm sure yours will vary from mine.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My proof, this was May 2019 in my tiny hatchery, lol. Mine was also an older Little Giant model but looks to be slightly different from yours.

 

[Mellowmalt]

Anyone use this incubator before? I feel like it’s almost as old as I am...
Would I have to set it to 100 since it’s a still air?

I started with still air and had a great first hatch. I placed a thermometer directly above the top of the eggs and one below them. You want to aim for a temperature of 99-100 in the middle of the egg so see what the temperatures are above and below once they have settled and then adjust so that the average between the 2 is roughly in the right range. I used 102f above the eggs, assuming the heat source is above the eggs and not from the side or somewhere else

 

[CluckNDoodle]

And this is when I switched to a hovabator and then when I decided NR360s were my favorite. I also have experience with Brinsea, Farm Innovators, China-bator... In my defense, my friends started giving me incubators that weren't working for them so I had to fiddle with them to determine for myself. It has given me a lot of experience with different incubators though. lol

 

[cluckingheck]

And this is when I switched to a hovabator and then when I decided NR360s were my favorite. I also have experience with Brinsea, Farm Innovators, China-bator... In my defense, my friends started giving me incubators that weren't working for them so I had to fiddle with them to determine for myself. It has given me a lot of experience with different incubators though. lol

View attachment 2501281View attachment 2501282

Oh, jeez. I wish I had all those incubators lol. I was looking today and it was tempting to put an order for another one...I still have college to pay for, so I had to stop myself

 

[cluckingheck]

Which incubator would be good on shipped eggs? I have eggs coming around the 26th — 4 partridge cochins & 4 speckled Sussexs + whatever extra eggs Meyer’s decides to ship — and wasn’t sure if I should put them in Hatch Batch or the styrofoam incubator. Both have egg turners but the difference is on their side and rolling or going back and forth with the bottoms up