First time Incubating..regulating temperature

[Kristy in WA]

I have a borrowed LG incubator. I have had it plugged in for 2 days and the temp has hovered from 98-100 degrees. It is a still air incubator, and I can't get it to get any hotter inside. What do I do? I have been trying to find a consistent temperature in my house, but the basement is 52 degrees and the upstairs fluctuates a lot because of the wood burning stove. I am trying my bedroom now, which is upstairs, but has a door that can be shut. I am getting a mixture of unknown chicken eggs, plus my neighbor is saving eggs from her banties. Can regular size eggs and bantie eggs be incubated together at the same time? Will the tiny banty chicks get stompled by the regular sized chickens? Do I need 2 incubators for this? I am buying a hygrometer today to test the humidity. I've had a little dish of water in the incubator the whole time. There is no condensation. I plugged the holes with toilet paper because the little red plugs are missing on this unit. Any advice would be appreciated. My eggs are supposed to arrive Friday or Saturday. I want to start them on Sunday in the incubator. Kristy

 

[RHewitt]

99.5 is the right temp for the LG. So ne need to get in hotter. Try plugging those holes with something that will not absorb moisture-old wine corks can be saved down to size. That should help with the humidty and help regulate the temp. I think you could hatch the banties and standard breeds together but may need seperate brooders...not sure I have not tried that before.

You definately need to find a location thay does not vary more than a few degrees and not to drafty our you will fight the LG constantly and drive yourself crazy.

 

[Kristy in WA]

Thank you. I thought with the still air type incubators, they were supposed to be at 102 degrees? So between 99-100 is all right? Kristy

 

[aray67156]

99-100 works. it is better to get it closer to 102 your success rate will be a little better. as far as the banties and regular chickens. i do it all the time and have never had any problems. best of luck

 

[Kristy in WA]

OK, but how do I make it hotter in there? Do I cover the whole thing with a towell or something? Do I put it in a warmer room of my house? I can't get it to go over 100 degrees. Kristy

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
If it has a viewing window, cover that with a washcloth, that should raise it a couple degrees. I have to do that with my hovabator.

 

[LilDucky85]

I just got my Little Giant- still air this weekend and have been test running it since Monday. I know the thing gets up to at least 120 degrees because mine did! I tried to regulate it for 7 hours until I gave up! The heat kept decreasing instead of increasing! I thought I broke it because it wouldnt heat up higher than 72 degrees after that! I got so frustrated that I shut if off for the night and gave up! The next morning I realized I was turning it the wrong way!!

I have to read it upside down because I dont want the cord hanging down in front of it. Once I figured out I was turning it the wrong way I regulated it in about an hour. Its been 99-100 since. The man I got the eggs from said he keeps it at 100.5 because its right inbetween where it should be. With this it has room to go up or down and not be harmful.

 

[Kristy in WA]

Well, after being totally baffled as to how I was ever going to get the temp to go up, I realized there was a temperature control dial on the thing....duh!! So, I turned it up. If that isn't the stupidest newbie mistake ever!! He he! It's actually very funny to me! So, now I keep checking it, and I bought my hygrometer (spell?) today...2 of them at Walmart, and I'll put those inside and see about regulating the humidity. My eggs will arrive in a couple of days, and I hope to get this whole show on the road by Monday or Tuesday. I'm so nervous. I don't want to kill the babies!! Kristy

 

[Kristy in WA]

Ok, my Incubator is empty as I am trying to get the temp/humidity correct. I just went and looked at it and the temp said 104, and the humidity 47%. So, if I had eggs in there, what would I do? Would they be dead? I opened the lid and immediately the humidity went down to 35%, and the temp slowly went down to 103, which is still too hot. I turned down the temp also, so now I am waiting. But if my little eggies were in there, would they be fried right now? Thanks, Kristy

 

[LilDucky85]

Ive read anything above 102 kills them. However, on my first attempt with a homemade incubator the temp got to 111 degrees while I was not home. I dont know how long they were at this temp but they actually survived it! They lived about two weeks but it was a different error that killed them.

Im hatching Pekin Ducks so I have to get my humidity to at least 70%. I added damp washcloths in the front and back on the bottom, and two plastic cups of water on the two other sides. So far its up to 76% but still could be higher.

Ive heard a lot to be very careful when turning that knob. Even the smallest turn can spike or decrease the temp dramatically. Ive got it set at 99-100 and Id be scared to move it at all now!

One of the most important pieces of advice that I got as a first time hatcher was....
After regulating the desired temp Do NOT touch the knob after you set the eggs! The eggs can take up to 8 hours to adjust to the bator temp. I was so tempted to turn it up a degree but I didnt, and sure enough about 8 hours later they are regulated to my 99-100 degrees.