Getting the Sportsman Ready...tips, tricks, advice???

[KsKingBee]

How old is your genesis and have you hatched in it? I read lots and lots of reviews and it seems styro bators have a useful life span of about 4-5 years before they start to have problems. My genesis will be 3 this year and so far it has done great, but I never allowed any eggs to hatch in it either, they went in a separate hatcher for that. I was debating getting another genesis because it worked so well for me, but they have "0" resale value, unlike the cabinet bators and that is the main reason I got the sportsman. My genesis ran for 3 months straight the last 2 summers, I'm hoping if I use it only for hatching I can extend that useful lifespan and have a hatcher for many years to come. Probably a dumb question, but have you bleached all the "bleachable" parts good?
I don't know about Zaz ventilating hers, but being that she is in a humid area, she should see the water evaporate at a slower rate, I would think.

I used Clorox to sanitize my hatcher last year and then blamed it for a lost load of eggs, not peas, but .... I think I had too many leftover fumes that killed the eggs. I had seen where someone was using egg crates to hold the hatching eggs so I sanitized them as well. I think the problem was that the paper egg crates did not off gas fast enough and that was that. We now use Tek-trol to sanitize everything, eggs and all. If you use bleach be sure to let it air out well before putting eggs in it.


For comparison on ventilation, my Sportsman has two vents on the back, one of which is plugged, there are three on the right side of which two are plugged. I suspect that Mindy's is the same. Zaz, how many open ports does your unit have open? My Hatch Craft units both have two open vent holes, one high in the back and one low. And yes, I have it six inches from the wall, I hope that is far enough.

 

[DylansMom]

I used Clorox to sanitize my hatcher last year and then blamed it for a lost load of eggs, not peas, but .... I think I had too many leftover fumes that killed the eggs. I had seen where someone was using egg crates to hold the hatching eggs so I sanitized them as well. I think the problem was that the paper egg crates did not off gas fast enough and that was that. We now use Tek-trol to sanitize everything, eggs and all. If you use bleach be sure to let it air out well before putting eggs in it.


For comparison on ventilation, my Sportsman has two vents on the back, one of which is plugged, there are three on the right side of which two are plugged. I suspect that Mindy's is the same. Zaz, how many open ports does your unit have open? My Hatch Craft units both have two open vent holes, one high in the back and one low. And yes, I have it six inches from the wall, I hope that is far enough.

I use tons of Clorox every year, but I always rinse or wipe down everything with clean water after the Clorox, then I allow air drying for several days before putting it all back together, usually I do not detect any Clorox odor after that process. I will have to check vents and get mine out of the corner as well.

 

[KsKingBee]

I use tons of Clorox every year, but I always rinse or wipe down everything with clean water after the Clorox, then I allow air drying for several days before putting it all back together, usually I do not detect any Clorox odor after that process. I will have to check vents and get mine out of the corner as well.

I asked another local member who runs three GQFs and she said;

"That's a lot of water to go through. Maybe she has way too many vents open. I have a 2 gallon jug and fill mine every couple of days and maybe a little more if I'm hatching. I've read several forums that say to open more vents but the point of the vents is to allow oxygen in and move the air evenly through the incubator to keep temperature even. Seems to me if you open them too much you are defeating the purpose. My older GQFs had the vents set up in a different pattern and I would have to allow more air flow but the newer models have obviously been tweaked so they are more efficient. I've considered closing the holes on my old ones entirely and redrilling them to work like the new ones. The fans on the older models are also more powerful so that makes a difference as well."

She also uses Tek-trol for sanitizing. I don't think that there is anything wrong with using bleach, I just had a bad experience with it.

 

[zazouse]

Is it possible that Zaz is running hers with more ventilation ports open somehow?

I run my bator with all 4 vents closed and have 2 in the back that i leave open i do not use sponges unless i am hatching and I just checked and my reservoir does not hold a gallon of water but holds about 3 quarts do perhaps this is my problem my reservoir is smaller then the ones you all are using.

 

[DylansMom]

I run my bator with all 4 vents closed and have 2 in the back that i leave open i do not use sponges unless i am hatching and I just checked and my reservoir does not hold a gallon of water but holds about 3 quarts do perhaps this is my problem my reservoir is smaller then the ones you all are using.

Zaz, this is the reservoir we are talking about, not the little container that sits inside, but the 5 gallon bucket and tube that sits on top. Do you have one of these? Or are we talking about 2 different things here?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GQF-MFG-Cab...430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3c4b657e

 

[KsKingBee]

My reservoir holds about a gallon, it doesn't have the little footies on it like the one pictured on E-Bay. I measured how much water it holds, it might hold a gallon if I filled it to the brim and there wasn't a 1/4 inch of calcium deposits in it.

I have it soaking with CLR right now, any other tips on how to get all that out or just use it and replace it when it gets too thick and heavy?

 

[DylansMom]

My reservoir holds about a gallon, it doesn't have the little footies on it like the one pictured on E-Bay. I measured how much water it holds, it might hold a gallon if I filled it to the brim and there wasn't a 1/4 inch of calcium deposits in it.

I have it soaking with CLR right now, any other tips on how to get all that out or just use it and replace it when it gets too thick and heavy?

Only 1 gallon? I don't think I've ever seen a 1 gallon one. Is it from GQF or some other manufacturer or is it a homemade one? I have to laugh at the thought of paying nearly $50 for a 5 gallon bucket. If I were handier I'm sure I could make one.

 

[KsKingBee]

Only 1 gallon? I don't think I've ever seen a 1 gallon one. Is it from GQF or some other manufacturer or is it a homemade one? I have to laugh at the thought of paying nearly $50 for a 5 gallon bucket. If I were handier I'm sure I could make one.

Yes, this one. The one that sits on the top shelf between the brackets. Mine does not have the legs under it like the one you posted a picture of. If I remember correctly, the bucket comes with a new reservoir with a float valve already installed, tubing, clamp, bucket with fitting, etc. I think the price is quite reasonable considering the parts and time to put it together.

 

[zazouse]

Zaz, this is the reservoir we are talking about, not the little container that sits inside, but the 5 gallon bucket and tube that sits on top. Do you have one of these? Or are we talking about 2 different things here?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GQF-MFG-Cab...430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3c4b657e

I have that and it wasn't keeping my reservoir full

i think i need a bigger one like you have.

 

[snowshoe]

Mindy I lay my pea eggs flat but slightly tilted small end down front to back in trays for turkey eggs like Zaz's picture. I have incubated eggs standing also but my hatch rate was a little better by laying flat and turning once, I open my sportsman every day to turn eggs once by hand and add water if needed that is why I have never purchased added water system for mine was told by someone the extra fresh air by opening and turning the eggs was good for the eggs, I have never hatched any eggs in my sportsman I have and older Marsh Roll X I us as a hatcher.