GQF Advise Please!!!

[biddybird]

I have recently changed from using several Little Giants to a GQF 1502. Temp and humidity are great so far! I am on day 12 with my first batch of standard chicken eggs and they look right on schedule. I set another batch last Sunday so I haven't candled any of the 2nd batch yet. When I get to lock down how many plugs should I remove for air flow? The book said to leave it as is at this point but I have searched the internet and find conflicting advice. I am really excited and looking forward to my first hatch in a GQF. The eggs look so happy

when I candle them and keeping everything controlled has been so easy, I don't want to mess up in the end. Any Advice???

 

[Camelot Farms]

No advice but lots of

 

[phoneman]

i keep both plugs out until lock down. then i replace both plugs. i like for mine to run about 30% until lock down then bump it up to about 65% to get it that high i put the pad in the water . also i put foil over about 3/4 of water pan. thats what works for me i have the 1502 sportsman

 

[biddybird]

Mine has been running around 50% since I started my first hatch. I candled all the eggs Saturday and they all look great so far. Lock-Down day is Thursday so I'm getting excited. Thanks for the advice! Happy Hatching!!!

 

[zazouse]

I do not remove any plugs, mu humidity runs 55% on the dot,

I transfer them to the hatcher with all plugs in.

I put a sponge in the reservior lock- er -down and my humidity runs a consistant 65%

On my last hatch i had 270 eggs, only 15 did not hatch, the hatch before that i lost 25 out of 270.


Good luck on your hatch,
what kind of eggs are you setting?

 

[biddybird]

Sorry took me so long to answer. I've got Buff Orps, EE's, B Australorps, RIR, this is my test run. I've got a lot of friends wanting chicks so I used my own flock to run a trial. I didn't want to go to the expense of ordering eggs since I have never had a GQF. My eggs look very good when I candled Sunday. Tomorrow is lock down. I am so excited!
I was very frustrated with both my LG's. This year I found myself constantly freaking out when I checked temp and humidity. Last summer I had very good hatches and this spring they have stayed around 25% or less, in both LG's. I know I have had both temp and humidity problems, despite keeping the room with-in 2 degrees and regulating water. I could run them both side by side and still have large differences. My DH bought me a GQF last month and my humidity is staying around 53%, temp 100. I will add a wafer when I lock down. I experimented before I added eggs with one and Humidity was at 63%. That was not removing plugs.
What are you hatching? My son wants me to go into quail.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The only thing I do is just add the humidity sponge when I move the eggs to the bottom tray to stop turning. We have been doing staggered hatches in both of ours since Jan.

Steve

 

[La Mike]

I have 3 of them full all the time with quail/duck/chicken/pheasant and turkey
I have never pulled any plugs and have great hatches
Recently running from 95-100% on my eggs
Shipped eggs are generaly lower %
Mine runs 50-55% then add sponges to 65-70%
Have full time staggered hatches with no issues
I believe you will absolutly love your gqf I personally wouldnt use any other

 

[biddybird]

So far I have liked it and found it so stress-free! Everytime I check it the temp and humidity are right where I want them. I think I'm in love just because of that. My DH is happier too, since he hasn't listened to me whine. I am so excited!!!

I know I will be glued to the see-through door this week-end. I'm so glad a spent the extra $$ for it and the water keeper, they have both helped keep me out of it. I have maybe opened it 3 times since starting the first batch.
I'm planning on putting the rubber mats on the bottom of the hatcher to keep the Peeps from slipping but have been following the thread on using the egg cartons cut down. Any thoughts on that. I know Ideal just has the eggs laying in a hatcher. Course they probably don't mourn over any egg that doesn't hatch the way I do.

Also, how many days have you waited on those late hatchers? In the LG I have waited up to day 25, since it seemed I never could keep the right temp.

 

[La Mike]

The late runners I have waite 2-3 days on sometimes for the good
Candle them and make sure theres movement and dont give up until there isnt
I dont use cut down cartons I lay them on the hatcher floor
I do have paper towles under the grip mats to keep the tray cleaner but reccomend highly you put some surface with some grip for them to avoid splay leg or any other issues because the tray they send is too slick for good leg stability