Incuview Incubator

[aart]

Fixed it. No more motor straining. Used the dremell to carve a path out for the rotating arm and the tray still goes the full length both ways.

Cool...but...wonders if they are all like this or you got a 'bad one'?

 

[Happy Dad]

That's what I asked when I sent the company a message along with my picture. I'd be interested to hear from others on this thread who also own this incubator.

 

[stevetone]

Just finished the first hatch of 18 in the IncuView, with a 100% hatch rate. Sounds great, right?

The problem, however, was that the hatch window was almost 3 days. That's the time period from the first hatch to the last hatch. All bantam eggs collected from our Dutch Bantam breeders, all 10 days or less in 'age.'

After the hatch was complete, I checked the temperature of the incubator in all 4 corners and at the center, under the fan, using 4 different thermometers (2 spirit thermometers, an electronic IncuTherm, and a Brinsea SpotCheck). My results were interesting:

• Temperatures in the front-left and back-right corners were the highest.
• Temperatures in the front-right and back-left were equal to each other, slightly lower than the highest corners.
• Temperature in the center, under the fan, was 1.1 to 3 full degrees lower than the highest corners (average of all thermometers was 1.33 degrees lower)

[Late Edit: I had made an arithmetic error in my original calculations: the results from a pair of my most accurate thermometers, two Lyon spirit thermometers, positioned at egg height, had a difference of 2.5 degrees between the hot corners and the center. I originally calculated it at 1.5 degrees. So, the results were even more dramatic than I originally thought.]

Emperically corroborating these measurements was that the eggs in the center, under the fan, were the last to hatch, more than 2 days after the ones in the "hot" corners. It is my understanding that an incubation temperature difference of 1 degree roughly equates to a 1 day difference in hatch. This would seem to confirm my temperature findings.

So, is it a deal breaker? Well, one thing is for sure: a nearly 3-day hatch window is unacceptable, at least to me. Unless we are willing to only set eggs in certain positions in the incubator, keeping them out of the center, this long hatch window seems inevitable.

There have been a few comments in this thread regarding temperature variations. Would like to hear more from others that have measured the temperature consistency in their IncuView.

steve

 

[Happy Dad]

Steve I'm ccurious if you had a towel under your unit or not?

When we start incubating this week I'll be taking IR egg temp readings and will report my findings.

 

[stevetone]

Steve I'm ccurious if you had a towel under your unit or not?

When we start incubating this week I'll be taking IR egg temp readings and will report my findings.

No towel.

It ran right next to our Turn-X incubator, which did not have any temp regulation problems, so I can't blame room temp inconsistencies.

I would be interested to know your eggshell temp readings. I've been looking into utilizing an IR thermometer for other reasons, particularly to monitor late-stage embryo temps (which may suggest lowering the temperature toward the end of incubation).

 

[Leela NH]

Happy Dad.

After viewing your fix for the turning arm it looks like I need to go buy a dremel before my new incubators arrive! Did you use a regular head to shave this down? Thanks!

Leela

 

[Leela NH]

Just finished the first hatch of 18 in the IncuView, with a 100% hatch rate. Sounds great, right?

The problem, however, was that the hatch window was almost 3 days. That's the time period from the first hatch to the last hatch. All bantam eggs collected from our Dutch Bantam breeders, all 10 days or less in 'age.'

After the hatch was complete, I checked the temperature of the incubator in all 4 corners and at the center, under the fan, using 4 different thermometers (2 spirit thermometers, an electronic IncuTherm, and a Brinsea SpotCheck). My results were interesting:

• Temperatures in the front-left and back-right corners were the highest.
• Temperatures in the front-right and back-left were equal to each other, slightly lower than the highest corners.
• Temperature in the center, under the fan, was 1.1 to 3 full degrees lower than the highest corners (average of all thermometers was 1.33 degrees lower)

Emperically corroborating these measurements was that the eggs in the center, under the fan, were the last to hatch, more than 2 days after the ones in the "hot" corners. It is my understanding that an incubation temperature difference of 1 degree roughly equates to a 1 day difference in hatch. This would seem to confirm my temperature findings.

So, is it a deal breaker? Well, one thing is for sure: a nearly 3-day hatch window is unacceptable, at least to me. Unless we are willing to only set eggs in certain positions in the incubator, keeping them out of the center, this long hatch window seems inevitable.

There have been a few comments in this thread regarding temperature variations. Would like to hear more from others that have measured the temperature consistency in their IncuView.

steve

Steve, have there been a lot of others with the same experience in multi day hatch window? My new units arrive soon...if this is an issue for all I may return them and get a Brinsea. Do you have any other recommendations for a good incubator under $200?

Thanks!

 

[enola]

Just finished the first hatch of 18 in the IncuView, with a 100% hatch rate. Sounds great, right?

The problem, however, was that the hatch window was almost 3 days. That's the time period from the first hatch to the last hatch. All bantam eggs collected from our Dutch Bantam breeders, all 10 days or less in 'age.'

After the hatch was complete, I checked the temperature of the incubator in all 4 corners and at the center, under the fan, using 4 different thermometers (2 spirit thermometers, an electronic IncuTherm, and a Brinsea SpotCheck). My results were interesting:

• Temperatures in the front-left and back-right corners were the highest.
• Temperatures in the front-right and back-left were equal to each other, slightly lower than the highest corners. 
• Temperature in the center, under the fan, was 1.1 to 3 full degrees lower than the highest corners (average of all thermometers was 1.33 degrees lower) 

Emperically corroborating these measurements was that the eggs in the center, under the fan, were the last to hatch, more than 2 days after the ones in the "hot" corners. It is my understanding that an incubation temperature difference of 1 degree roughly equates to a 1 day difference in hatch. This would seem to confirm my temperature findings.

So, is it a deal breaker? Well, one thing is for sure: a nearly 3-day hatch window is unacceptable, at least to me. Unless we are willing to only set eggs in certain positions in the incubator, keeping them out of the center, this long hatch window seems inevitable.

There have been a few comments in this thread regarding temperature variations. Would like to hear more from others that have measured the temperature consistency in their IncuView.

steve

This is a little unsettling! One way to avoid this problem would be to rotate the eggs in the incubator every 3 days. But, this wouldn't make sense, after all, the whole reason for having turners is so you don't have to handle the eggs........

 

[stevetone]

Steve, have there been a lot of others with the same experience in multi day hatch window? My new units arrive soon...if this is an issue for all I may return them and get a Brinsea. Do you have any other recommendations for a good incubator under $200?

Thanks!

A long hatch window by itself is not necessarily indicative of a problem. Different species, different sizes, collection and storage techniques can all lead to individual eggs hatching at different rates. Even with identical conditions eggs hatch at different times. However, in my experience, a 24 hour hatch window is good; 36 is OK; 48 is worrisome; approaching 72 is problematic.

In our case, since we believed that most of our "variables" were under control, it lead me to investigate further into the cause. And it appears that the center of the incubator is significantly cooler that the perimeter.

My experience may be unique, and a tad picky, as we DID get a 100% hatch. But, I do hope others can provide temperature data from their incubators.

Regarding under $200 incubators: that's what attracted me to this unit. You get a lot of features for that price. It is tough to beat without going to the used marketplace.

steve

 

[stevetone]

This is a little unsettling! One way to avoid this problem would be to rotate the eggs in the incubator every 3 days. But, this wouldn't make sense, after all, the whole reason for having turners is so you don't have to handle the eggs........

I agree. It would not make sense to handle the eggs for this purpose.