Incubator question

[clhbubba]

We recently bought a cabinet type incubator. An older one, red in color, wooden, holds about 300 eggs, has three levels to put eggs on, auto turner and such. No instruction booklet....that's the problem. When we first plugged it in, it was at a perfect 99.5 degrees. Well, one of the cats, I believe, has played with the metal controls on the outside and messed it up. If you are standing in front of it, there are two small metal 'levers' to the right and on the left towards the back is the switch for the auto turner. Of these two switches on the right side, I do not know how to make the temp to up/down. It is hovering around 101-103 and I'm afraid it's killed the chicks that are developing. (call duck eggs are in there). I would GREATLY appreciate anyone's help on this....please. Is there a way to move the trays to a level state without having to stand there and wait for it to start a turn cycle and then turn it off? Also, we are having a terrible time keeping the humidity up. I've got 4 trays of water in there and it's only around 35-39%. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Pine Grove]

Clockwise decreases the heat, counter clockwise increases the heat..the turner switch, hold it all the way up for manual turning,,What you want to do is, turn the front thermostat about 4 complete rounds counter clockwise.Then set the back thermostat where it is cutting off at 101..Then adjust(clockwise) the front thermo. to 99 1/2

 

[dbcooper02]

Your older red painted cabinet incubator might be a Dickey. It sounds like it has the dual wafer set-up like the old GQF 1200 series. Here's a link to the instructions for the GQF model. It explains in detail how to set up and adjust the two wafer thermostat system.

https://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/1202 1250 Cabinet model instructions.pdf

The turner switch on the left hand side should have three positions. Down would be on, centered would be off and holding the switch in the up position should cycle the turner. So you should be able to hold the switch in the up position till the trays level out, then release it.

The first thing I would look at in a cabinet incubator having low humidity issues would be the door gasket. Close a piece of paper in the door all around and try to pull it out. Is the gasket even touching, or does the paper slip right out? Or go around the outside of the door with a lit candle while the incubator is running. Is there a draft blowing the flame around? You can find self adhesive weatherstrip at your local Home Depot or Lowe's to replace the door gasket. This might be all you need to get your humidity up.

Hth, db

 

[clhbubba]

Thank you both, I really appreciate it. Do you think there's any hope for my call duck eggs now that the temp was up to 103?

 

[srsmith69]

I've got a homemade incubator with a tray that tilts left and right for a turner. For some reason, when i have the tray tilted to the left, the air temperature goes up to almost 103. So I've had several spikes to that temperature. I've got quail eggs in the hatcher that were in this incubator that are on day 17 of incubation and have had 3 hatch so far and about 8 are pipping. An air temperature spike to 103 for a short time won't cause the internal egg temperature to rise to that same temp. The egg temp takes a while to rise. As long as you weren't at 103 for a long time, they should be fine. Give them time.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
Have you candled them to see if they is still movement? I would candle if they are not on lock down. I have had spikes before and still had a decent hatch.

 

[clhbubba]

I don't know how long they were at 103. We came home late and found it that way. Then again this morning it was up. I'm so frustrated. We did candle them last night but they are too dark to see anything moving at this point. They are on day 19.

 

[srsmith69]

Any update? Have they starting pipping yet. My final count on my quail was 22 of 27 hatched. This when temps would periodically spike up to 103. Still pulling for you.