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

[Arbor]

Clorox is fine, as long as it has time to dry and air out afterwards. I also stand eggs on end during incubation, as opposed to laying flat. Hatch rate does not change.

 

[DylansMom]

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.

This is good to know, since I will be opening it everyday to turn as well. I was just a little worried that turning AND adding water would result in the door being open too long. I know the little genesis would regain temp and humidity very quickly, but wasn't sure how long it would take with the Sportsman. However, if it works for you it should work for me, as we are so close external factors should be the same.

I am not planning on hatching in it either, I like the idea of keeping any possible bacteria and such in a separate hatcher.

 

[KsKingBee]

I received my bucket kit today and have it all assembled, filled, and waiting for the temps to steady before I set the eggs, yes, a day later than I planned. I have to say that the extra water will let us be gone for a couple of days without worrying about the incubator running dry, and that is a bit of a relief. All the fittings being installed and ready to assemble was really nice, I am a bit impressed that the kit was that economical.

Sterilizing the Sportsman is a bit of a challenge, I have long arms but I was wondering if I was ever going to reach the back of the unit. Getting a snoot full of Tek-trol will rock your world, oh my.

 

[KsKingBee]

In two weeks it has used around four gallons of water. The humidity is around 45% @100.0* I have been thinking of inserting one of the sponges.

 

[thndrdancr]

Kskingbee, have you got pea eggs already? I had those 2? Or maybe 3 and then nothing now. Unless these huge brown chicken eggs are pea eggs but I don't think so. I have been getting one enormous brown egg every other day.
Having my peas and chickens together gets confusing with the egg situation. I have 2 Brody's ready to go and now no more pea eggs.

 

[KsKingBee]

Kskingbee, have you got pea eggs already? I had those 2? Or maybe 3 and then nothing now. Unless these huge brown chicken eggs are pea eggs but I don't think so. I have been getting one enormous brown egg every other day.
Having my peas and chickens together gets confusing with the egg situation. I have 2 Brody's ready to go and now no more pea eggs.

No pea eggs yet, they have been practicing, but no laying yet.

We set some BCM the DW bought out of Tejas from another BYC'er to introduce some fresh bloodline into ur existing flock of BCMs, got seven out of 24 to hatch with one of them being gimpy.

That is about what I expected, but still disappointing. Then we set a load of our BOM's, (Buff Orp Marans crosses), Wellsummers, and Easter Eggers. After that we set 24 dozen, four of which are BCM, and the rest mixed chicks for Easter chicks to go to auction week from tomorrow. DW has been running only one cock on about 40 hens so the fertility rate is not that good. The boys were fighting so she penned them up.

Then after she let them back out we set another 16 dozen for the Easter Hatch Along. So, we have both the GQF and the Surehatch going full bore.

 

[DylansMom]

Okay, so I fired up the Sportsman and the Styrofoam Hovabator Genesis that I intend to hatch in. I have a separate therm/hygr. in the Hovabator and as usual it is dead on, set to 99.6 and the additional therm. is reading 99.7, that's what I like to see!

In the Sportsman I have 2 additional therm./hygro.'s and temps are all over the place. It is set to 99.6 and it says it is there varying by a tenth here or there. One of the other therms. says 100.2 and the other says 101.6, don't like that one at all.

Do the Sportsman usually vary that much from one spot to the next?

 

[zazouse]

Okay, so I fired up the Sportsman and the Styrofoam Hovabator Genesis that I intend to hatch in. I have a separate therm/hygr. in the Hovabator and as usual it is dead on, set to 99.6 and the additional therm. is reading 99.7, that's what I like to see!

In the Sportsman I have 2 additional therm./hygro.'s and temps are all over the place. It is set to 99.6 and it says it is there varying by a tenth here or there. One of the other therms. says 100.2 and the other says 101.6, don't like that one at all.

Do the Sportsman usually vary that much from one spot to the next?

Yes they vary at different levels, it is always warmer at the top just like in your home, heat rises and the lower part is cooler. i have always had mine set at 100.5 and have great hatches with everything i put in them

you can rotate your racks if you are concerned, i never do but never felt the need.

You should get a proper reading at the top and then it will drop a bit with each level if the top is reading wrong then something is wrong and you should call the manufacture and find out what you can do.
where is you incubator? what is the temperature reading on the outside? you should keep the incubator in an area where the outside temps around 80 degree with no drafts from windows, air vents or doors so you do not have a fluctuation in temps of the incubator , to cold temp on the outside can cause temps to flux, hope this helps.

 

[DylansMom]

Yes they vary at different levels, it is always warmer at the top just like in your home, heat rises and the lower part is cooler. i have always had mine set at 100.5 and have great hatches with everything i put in them

you can rotate your racks if you are concerned, i never do but never felt the need.

You should get a proper reading at the top and then it will drop a bit with each level if the top is reading wrong then something is wrong and you should call the manufacture and find out what you can do.
where is you incubator? what is the temperature reading on the outside? you should keep the incubator in an area where the outside temps around 80 degree with no drafts from windows, air vents or doors so you do not have a fluctuation in temps of the incubator , to cold temp on the outside can cause temps to flux, hope this helps.

Thanks Zaz! The lowest(coolest) reading is the one the Sportsman is giving me. The other 2 therms. are at the front of the bator one at the top and one halfway down, I'm not using the lowest rack so I didn't bother with a therm in the very bottom. The highest reading is front/top, then front/middle, then lowest is the bator itself.

As for temps, it is 33 degrees outside so we have no 80 degree temps anywhere in a 3 state area! I can't keep the house that warm, hubby would melt.

It is about 73 in the spare bedroom where the bator is located, it is away from drafts and has been moved out away from walls for air flow.

 

[zazouse]

Thanks Zaz! The lowest(coolest) reading is the one the Sportsman is giving me. The other 2 therms. are at the front of the bator one at the top and one halfway down, I'm not using the lowest rack so I didn't bother with a therm in the very bottom. The highest reading is front/top, then front/middle, then lowest is the bator itself.

As for temps, it is 33 degrees outside so we have no 80 degree temps anywhere in a 3 state area! I can't keep the house that warm, hubby would melt.

It is about 73 in the spare bedroom where the bator is located, it is away from drafts and has been moved out away from walls for air flow.

with temps that low you may have problems the air intake in the back brings the cool temps in causing the regulator to struggle to keep a stable temp, can you put a small heater in that room and keep the door closed to bring your temps up?