Incubators Anonymous

[ki4got]

Yes, you will want to be able to turn off the turners separately. They also produce heat so be aware your temperatures might drop a bit when you do that.

with that setup, I probably wouldn't hatch IN the turners, but down on the floor of the incubator. therefore turning off the turners isn't too critical, if there are no eggs being turned.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:

Yes, you will want to be able to turn off the turners separately. They also produce heat so be aware your temperatures might drop a bit when you do that.

with that setup, I probably wouldn't hatch IN the turners, but down on the floor of the incubator. therefore turning off the turners isn't too critical, if there are no eggs being turned.

Ah, true, but I was thinking its easier and safer to take the eggs out when it isn't turning. I would probably rather pull the turners out to get to the ones in the back - and having it turning when I am holding it just didn't sound safe to me. They do turn very slowly though.

 

[dblred0728]

Cake pan in the top with sponges is very close to what the Sportsman does. They also have an "auto waterer" that has a float and an outside hose to add water without opening the incubator. You might want to put something like that in for lockdown when you want the humidity to stay high.

Opening the holes decreases humidity (the moisture goes out) and increases the oxygen (which the chicks need when they start to hatch). Opening the door decreases humidity and increases oxygen too - but you don't usually want to do that a lot when they are hatching - it also drops the temperatures. Usually the vent holes are partially closed for the first 18 days then opened way up and lots of water added for the last 3 days. Some wait until they actually have a pip to add humidity.

Unless you are at a high altitude I wouldn't use 65-68 Percent for the first 18 days - that is way too high. A lot of people have changed to "Dry Hatching" where they add no water for the first 18 days. Their humidity runs from 16% to 24% though. If I added no water mine would probably be about 10% which is just a tad low. So I add some when I first put the eggs in, then let it all dry out and only add more if it goes below 10%. I add water at day 18-19 to bring it up to 60%. I also used cardboard egg cartons and poured a bit of warm water around them to bring up the humidity right next to the eggs.

Yes, you will want to be able to turn off the turners separately. They also produce heat so be aware your temperatures might drop a bit when you do that.

I did think about having a hole directly over the pan to add water from the top too. Gosh I live in Mississippi, I don't think we ever get 16-24% humidity lol but yes I would bring up only for lockdown. Oh I didn't think about the turners producing heat as well, I'll have to remember that!

 

[dblred0728]

Ah, true, but I was thinking its easier and safer to take the eggs out when it isn't turning. I would probably rather pull the turners out to get to the ones in the back - and having it turning when I am holding it just didn't sound safe to me. They do turn very slowly though.

Yes so slow you have to really look to see them turn. But when I got the thing I had already put eggs in before I realized I couldn't turn off the turners. Ugggh I was sick I didn't think about it before. I'm thinking I'll use this cabinet to put eggs in every 7-10 days and one on each tray then on lock down move to my little farm innovator to just hatch in. Maybe??? I have a small flock and get about 4-7 eggs a day so that wouldn't be holding them long and would put me even with a good hatch not more than I could handle at one time. I hear so much about hand turning successes but for me it is just not feasible since I'm not home all day. And I don't want to risk me forgetting to turn them.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
If you have had good luck hatching in the LG than that sounds like it will work for you. You won't have to put any water in the cabinet because you would never need to raise the humidity. You might even have to use an AC unit in the room to bring the humidity DOWN depending on how your hatches do.

You would also not have to worry about turning off the turners unless you wanted to save electricity/wear and tear on the motors. If you take the eggs out it wouldn't matter that the turners are still going (which was ki4got's point).

I don't hand turn either, I know I would forget. Sometimes when I turn the turner off to check the eggs I forget to turn it back on.. until I go out to check again and realize its straight!

 

[ki4got]

Quote: Ah, true, but I was thinking its easier and safer to take the eggs out when it isn't turning. I would probably rather pull the turners out to get to the ones in the back - and having it turning when I am holding it just didn't sound safe to me. They do turn very slowly though.
lol it takes hours to do a single pass from one side to the other.

 

[gladahmae]

my first round in my genesis.  Now the question is, do I trust the readout on the genesis for temp and humidity, or do I still stick all my thermometers and hygrometer in there too?

Anyone? Need to turn it on tomorrow morning and would like to know if I need to put extra gear in there.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:

Surprisingly NO LOL... Only the BR..... I don't have any eggs available for a few weeks though. I have WHITE Wyandottes and Ameraucanas but they are not laying. I used to have RIR but that was a LONG time ago... over a year.


I don't really know any one person with all those. OH I am getting a flock of Eng Orps.... again not the same.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: I would have started it up a week or more ago with everything you've got to make sure it's stable and that everything reads correctly.

 

[ki4got]

ok thought i'd share one of my broody-bators in action...