Hovabator 1588 with egg turner question before I start

[Mac22]

Hello, I have a new genesis 1588. It has been running for a full 24 hours with a temp reading of 100 and humidity of 53%. I have the first channel full of water. I have an Acuview thermometer for humidity and one for temp inside. temp reading same as incubator. I have one sandwich sized zip lock bag full of water inside. Before I put my purchased eggs (maran, EE, Faverolles, welsummer) in I have a couple of questions.
1) Humidity is too high isn't it? Should I take some water out? What should I aim for 50% or lower?
2) How do you add water with this incubator. Seems tricky to get at channels with the egg turner and plastic floor layer. Do I have to take everything out to get to water tray?
3) I'm putting a dozen eggs in. Any particular way I should fill the egg turner? All next to each other in the center or do I space them out?
4) Do I keep the red plug in place the whole time or open it at any point?

 

[Stephanie Mitchell]

I keep the red plugs out, mine doesn't have a plastic liner so I just have little plastic cups in the incubator that fit beside the Turner. I do not keep humidity higher than 30-40 for the first 18 days. If it's too high the chicks will drown in the shell when they go to hatch. The last 3 days you spoke humidity to 70% ish. Make sure the plugs are for sure out during the last 3 days, those chicks need the fresh air to breathe in order to hatch! When I had a half full Turner rack in the winter I spaced them "every other" so no egg had an immediate neighbor.

Good luck with your hatch!! I'll be hatching along starting Saturday

 

[Stephanie Mitchell]

The plastic cups I have are for the water / humidity btw

 

[Mac22]

Thanks. I have taken all the water out, put less in and will try to get the humidity down by this method. Thanks for the inf. on the plugs and spacing of eggs too.

 

[oregonkat]

Hello, I have a new genesis 1588. It has been running for a full 24 hours with a temp reading of 100 and humidity of 53%. I have the first channel full of water. I have an Acuview thermometer for humidity and one for temp inside. temp reading same as incubator. I have one sandwich sized zip lock bag full of water inside. Before I put my purchased eggs (maran, EE, Faverolles, welsummer) in I have a couple of questions.
1) Humidity is too high isn't it? Should I take some water out? What should I aim for 50% or lower?
2) How do you add water with this incubator. Seems tricky to get at channels with the egg turner and plastic floor layer. Do I have to take everything out to get to water tray?
3) I'm putting a dozen eggs in. Any particular way I should fill the egg turner? All next to each other in the center or do I space them out?
4) Do I keep the red plug in place the whole time or open it at any point?

Read the hatching 101 article by Sally Sunshine on here.

Throw the red plugs away, the more fresh air the eggs get the better. Is your bator a still air or forced air? Keep humidity at around 35 - 40% for the first 18 days. With the tray, cover a portion of the first channel with a piece of tin foil as humidity depends on surface area not depth. Test this to get the humidity level where you want it. Get yourself a piece of aquarium tubing or other small, 1/4" tubing and cut it long enough to go from the bottom of the channel out of the bator (I drilled a hole through one of the corners of my bator and shoved the tubing through it). In the plastic grid tray that is in your incubator, snip out a square if the tubing wont fit through the grid, right above the beginning portion of the channel. This will allow you to fill the channel without having to remove anything. Use a small syringe to fill the channel with the tubing.
Space the eggs out a little, are you using an upright or a flat turner that turns the eggs on their sides?
I am assuming that you have allowed your purchased (shipped?) eggs to rest for at least 24 hours, fat end up.

Remember, shipped eggs are notoriously difficult and have earned that reputation. Dont beat yourself up if you get a less than 50% hatch. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

[Mac22]

Good tip on the aluminum foil since I have struggled with the humidity. I just covered up a bit over1/3 of the channel. Red plug is out too. My eggs were not shipped. They are between 5-7 days old. Temp is a bit iffy. Thermometer read 96.8 degrees and incubator thermometer reads 99.9 so am not quite sure which to believe.

 

[oregonkat]

Good tip on the aluminum foil since I have struggled with the humidity. I just covered up a bit over1/3 of the channel. Red plug is out too. My eggs were not shipped. They are between 5-7 days old. Temp is a bit iffy. Thermometer read 96.8 degrees and incubator thermometer reads 99.9 so am not quite sure which to believe.

Do not trust your incubator, they are often off by several degrees. That being said, is your other thermometer calibrated? How about your hygrometer, calibrated? If your eggs are at 7 days, you are going to want to get them into the bator sooner rather than later, eggs lose viability quickly after 7 days. Glad to read that they are not shipped, you should have a great hatch. Just make sure you are happy with the temp. and keep your humidity where you want it. Don't panic if it gets up a little higher, lots of folks on here incubate in the low 50's with not too much trouble, it just seems that the air cells behave a little better when the humidity is in the 35 - 40's.

 

[Mac22]

No, the other thermometer is an inexpensive Accuview. I had been told to use that but think I had better find one that is of better quality. Humidity is at 40% now. Temp. is my concern now. Incubator says 100 degrees, thermometer inside says 96.8.

 

[Stephanie Mitchell]

If there is a pet store near you go and find a probe thermometer, I have one from a lizard store that's a hygrometer and a thermometer. I stick the probe in hovering at 'egg' level and it's perfect. The more thermometers the better though. I also use the old human thermometer we have to test the accuracy

 

[chickens really]

Hello, have the exact incubator..I don't have an egg turner. I hand turn my eggs. I leave the Plug in till hatching starts. Follow the instructions that came with the incubator and you will have success..I do..