LG users. Chime in about what works for you.

[PurpleChicken]

My solution to the water bottles thing is to keep any and all eggs in the thing for as long as possible!! If they don't stink, they stay!


I add 2 or 3 spring water bottles as I'm stabilizing temps for 3 days before
adding eggs. If I'm going to have a large hatch and use all my trays then
I do exactly what you do and leave the eggs in there, even if they candle
as infertile.

People have warned of exploding eggs and I've had a few but it's a price
to pay for stable temps.

 

[shelleyd2008]

What cuties PC!!! I have learned to ignore the people that say to keep it at 101.5 at egg level, as well as the ones that say bantams hatch at 21 days. I keep mine with the fan now at 99 or 98, and they still hatch at day 19 or 20. Some still pip on 18. Oh well!
I also try to not put the plugs in at all. This makes it easier for me to raise the humidity at the end. That way I'm not fighting the new air flow, and I know about what I need to do to get it to raise.
So far (knock on wood!!) I have not had any eggs explode in the bator. I have had some stinkers that were brought inside from the hens, but none that were incubated and stunk. I leave all the clears in and remove them as I add more eggs, any with quitters or blood rings get removed. Those are the ones that would explode I would think.


I would recommend just getting a regular computer fan to add to it though. They are a lot cheaper and work just as good. I paid $4 for the fan, and $5 for the cord, and it works great!! Now that I have a fan in mine, I barely have to add any water to get the humidity up.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
It sounds like you have your LG talents down to a science too.

The one thing I differ on is the fan. A $4 pc fan is much better than no fan.
However, the actual fan kit blows out the sides, thereby moving the air
in a much more even fashion. I've helped people install PC fans and I
have them blow the fan up with spacers between the fan and the top.

Does any of this make any difference??? Who knows but it's fun to talk
to others who appreciate the nuances of a Little Giant. I have 100 more
Quail eggs coming this week from CatCobb1983 so my LG is gonna be
busy. I have two other complete LG's with fans and turners but I pushed
them on two friends trying to get them hooked on hatching.

My turner motor did strip the gears during my last hatch so I'm using
a Hova turner. It's slightly bigger but does fit, just very tightly.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The motor in my turner has been growling almost since I got it, but it is still working. If it quits I will probably just tilt the bator, alot easier than turning each individual egg. I have my fan taped to one of the windows, and the air blows from midway to the end on one side, so it circulates pretty good. I have had no trouble with the temps or humidity since I added it, so I can't complain.
Here's a pic of how mine is added. The blower part of the fan is the silver part, and the sucker part is on the bottom, or opposite side, from what can be seen.

 

[PurpleChicken]

That is a really good idea. I never thought of mounting the fan to the
window.

 

[sara]

I use the LG still air as my hatcher, and it works fine for that. I didn't care for it as an incubator. I'm actually thinking about taking it apart and using the heating element to make my own incubator, but I wonder if it would be enough to heat something a little bit bigger.

 

[sara]

Quote:

 

[Solsken Farm]

Wow, some very technical stuff here. I am an electronics dummy. Carpentry I can do. Wiring and all? Nope...

I was able to keep the thing pretty stable yesterday but awoke to it being 97.9 this morning.

I even kept a towel around it. I also closed both vents as I couldn't get it past 50 and wanted to go up to 55 humidity. So it was up to 70 this am.

My overall impression so far is that this is much more unstable than my hovabator or rcom......

I am at work today. Hoping for a pip when I get home.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I got lucky and the guy at Radio Shack wired mine for me!!

Try putting a small bowl (I use a small butter/cottage cheese bowl) cut down under the wire with a paper towel 'wick' in it. That should help with the humidity.

Or you could use a folded paper towel/washcloth, that would help too.

 

[Solsken Farm]

That IS lucky!

I have a sponge and a bowl of water. I took the bowl out and added a small taller cup, so if any hatch while I am gone, they won't drown. I am trying to avoid opening the dang thing up and getting to the water troughs is tough. I need some tubing to leave hooked up so I can pour from the vent on top.

Thanks for the suggestions! I won't get home until after 5 today, so this is the first day I won't be able to tinker with it to make sure it doesn't spike or drop.....Nervous Nellie here. But that's nothing new.