LG still air 9200

[m_herrington]

Well, you can get the LG 9200 from TSC for $41.99 the egg turner is the same price... so you can get the set-up brand new for $84... something to keep in mind.

I used the LG without the turner to hatch my first batch of eggs. I had shipped eggs from harleys girl... 7 eggs 100% hatch. I also had guinea eggs that were not quite as good, but I hear they are harder to hatch. I ended up with 8 out of 12 original shipped eggs hatching, and I believe at least 2 of them were infertile and were thrown out week 2.

Once I got the temp where I liked it I didn't touch it... It took a little trying to hit the right temp, but it is very consistent in staying at that temp... at least mine is.

 

[PurpleChicken]

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The LG 9200 still air is a GREAT beginners incubator in my opinion. Yes they can be touchy, and yes other incubators may hold temps/humidity better, but you CAN get good hatches from this incubator.

Because of the shear fact that it is sometimes "touchy" it provides a good learning experience about temp/humidity levels, and provides for a very interactive hatching experience.

I've heard people complain about LG's quite often, but I would never trade my experiences for anything. I still remember the excitement I had when I bought it at Tractor Supply, and I still remember the anticipation of that first hatch!

I've had mine as a still air for four years now. Over the summer I've added an automatic turner, I've wired in a PC cooling fan to turn it into a forced air, and I've installed a digital hydrometer. The digital thermometer is next.

The thermostats are very sensitive on it, but if you run it for 24 to 48 hours before you set eggs in it, get it leveled off, and monitor the environment it is in, you shouldn't have a problem. I would not suggest putting it in an overly cold or drafty room however.

Good luck and keep us updated!

I couldn't have said it better. I'm so sick of people blasting the 9200. You
can buy one brand new for $40 and learn a ton about hatching eggs. There is
more than enough info here on BYC about them to get good hatches.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The only problem that I have with it is getting the humidity up high enough. I have had to sets, one with 13 eggs, and one with 6, and both sets hatched all but one egg. I have mixed sets also, and only one bator, so I have to pluck the little fellas out as soon as they hatch more or less, and still I have almost 100% hatch. The first time, you could say that I had over 100%, cuz I brought 6 eggs in from my hen when she left them, and hatched 4 of those as well!!

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
Here are some tips...

During days 19 through 21, you can add a dampened sponge. Someone also mentioned taking a paper towel and dampening it, then putting the edge in the water trays so that it wicks water out without drying up.

Recently I've had trouble getting my humidity up also. What I've learned is its not how much water you have in the trays, its the surface area and amount of ventilation involved.

I took one of those shallow grease trays that come with a george foreman grill and put it under the wire and filled it. Instant increase in humidity.

The other thing I did, since I've installed the fan was take a piece of tape and cover half of the ventilation hole that is over the fan. If I plugged it the humidity soared too high. If I unplugged it the fan sucked too much dry air in and lowered the humidity. I had to play with the tape a bit to allow some dry air in, but not too much. I've successfully gotten it to maintain a steady 50% to 55% humidity.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Here are some tips...

During days 19 through 21, you can add a dampened sponge. Someone also mentioned taking a paper towel and dampening it, then putting the edge in the water trays so that it wicks water out without drying up.

Recently I've had trouble getting my humidity up also. What I've learned is its not how much water you have in the trays, its the surface area and amount of ventilation involved.

I took one of those shallow grease trays that come with a george foreman grill and put it under the wire and filled it. Instant increase in humidity.

The other thing I did, since I've installed the fan was take a piece of tape and cover half of the ventilation hole that is over the fan. If I plugged it the humidity soared too high. If I unplugged it the fan sucked too much dry air in and lowered the humidity. I had to play with the tape a bit to allow some dry air in, but not too much. I've successfully gotten it to maintain a steady 50% to 55% humidity.

Mine currently is at 50%, but it is at the end of a hatch. I put a small ziploc bowl in there, with a holey sock that was no good in it, and it went up to about 64% for a few hours, and went right back down. I have only helped one chick that was too dry, so I guess 50% is all right. The little buggers hatch early every time, first pip on day 18 at least, so even if I could get it to go up and stay there, by the time I'd do it they'd be done anyway lol.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
Did you have your vent holes open or plugged? You have to figure out what combination works best for your environment.

I have figured out that I had to keep the door to the room closed (its a spare bedroom) and I've had to completely close the A/C vent to minimize the amount of conditioned air coming in.

And I used to put a big honkin sponge in there. It was one of those natural sea sponges that took up about 1/4 of the incubator floor space.

And try this, take a small amount of tubing and stick it through one of the small vent holes. place the sponge or small bowl or whatever you're using under the vent hole and use the tubing to add more water so that you dont have to open the cover.

Try closing the a/c vent in your room, opening/closing (or any combination of) the ventilation holes, try adding more than one sponge if you have to.

But this is what I am referring to when I say an interactive experience. It does take some tweaking, but once you get it and figure out a plan of action that works for you and your environment, you can get good hatches.

 

[deerman]

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WOW over a 100% that mean you got more chicks than you had eggs. That must be a record!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

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WOW over a 100% that mean you got more chicks than you had eggs. That must be a record!!

The incubator eggs I had were 13-12 hatched. We added 6 that the hen left-4 hatched. But if you go by what the incubator started with, I hatched 16 eggs, starting with 13. Thought it would get a laugh or two!

 

[deerman]

Yep.thats the way I took it, any wooden eggs hatch?? if so were they wood peckers!!!!!!

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

OK I is much too late for yall to be running numbers like that! LOL I am so confused....