Incubating eggs

[BlueBirdChick]

Ill be getting my incubator and I was wondering do I need to run it for 24 hours before I put the eggs in?

 

[chickenpickens]

We turned ours on Saturday night and put eggs in it this morning. It's so addicting!

 

[white01]

i just put my first eggs in saturday,yes it is addicting, and i have been checking it about every 15min hehe, omg wait till they start hatching i will be glued to the thing hehe

 

[silkieowner]

i set my incubator up on saturday put eggs in on sunday at 3:10pm. Its now tuesday so my eggs are on day 2.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

I think its a good idea to run it just to make sure your temp is holding

 

[LaurenM23]

I definitely recommend letting it run for at least 24 hours prior to setting anything in it. If this is your first time hatching, or even just with this unit, it will be important to work out any kinks and figure out its sensitivity to adjustment. As an example, the LG Still Air is a very commonly used unit because of its price point and availability (TSC sells them). When I got my first one, the heater coils didn't work...AT ALL! I had to go exchange it for a new one, but would have been really upset if I hadn't given myself enough time for all of that mess and testing the new one. The temp adjustment is also SUPER sensitive. To turn up the heat, squeezing the knob between your fingers is enough...actually make a "turn" and the thing will shoot through the roof. Figuring out your humidity is also going to be key.

Are you using an auto-turner? If so, the motor from this also causes heat in the still air unit, so both should be turned on during the testing and adjustment phase. The forced air units have their own unique features and all incubators can be temperamental.

Good luck on your hatch!!!