Little Giant 9200 Still Air Incubator - humidity

[crazychiknman]

Thanks to all for your help. This is the successful result of our first attempt at hatching an egg. Very special to us, as momma was killed by a predator and so we set her last 4 eggs. This was the only one that was fertilized.

 

[Rainier]

Thanks to all for your help. This is the successful result of our first attempt at hatching an egg. Very special to us, as momma was killed by a predator and so we set her last 4 eggs. This was the only one that was fertilized.

 

[Newchics]

Congrats! Such a beauty.

I too have had a successful first ever chicken and hatching experience (still in progress) thanks to many people on this site. Everyone is so wonderful!

 

[Frizzlett]

Thanks to all for your help. This is the successful result of our first attempt at hatching an egg. Very special to us, as momma was killed by a predator and so we set her last 4 eggs. This was the only one that was fertilized.

So cute! I wanted to do that with my brother's Silver Sebright's eggs because she was killed by a possum but my incubator killed all of the chicks at or around day 3.

 

[Frizzlett]

I know why my last hatch died!!!! My mom just bought the aqua thermometer that, sorry I don't remember who you are (could've been on another thread), someone mentioned. It is actually very, very accurate for a $2 thermometer (it might be half a degree to 1 degree off). So anyway, that Aqua was reading 90F and the built-in thermometer was reading 93F. So when I started out we had the incubator set at 101.5-103F (103 on accident) normally it set around 102-103F, which was actually around 99.5F!!! Then someone told me for a circulated air fan, the temp should be at 99.5F. SO I turned it down! That had the temp sitting at around 96-98! And all of the chicks made it to day 3, which if I remember correctly, was the day I turned the temperature down to 99.5 (actually 96.5). Agh! So now I've got the new thermometer for the FI and we're going again with 12-14 eggs. Plus my Silkie laid her first egg today. It was small, because most Silkie's are bantams in the US, it was long and slender but the inside was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Yolk and egg white was proportional to a standard size egg. Now we can't incubate hers because, well, she just started, but I have around 2 more eggs from my 2 laying RSLs. Although I could start on Friday, which will be exactly one week since I set my first eggs. I wanted to do it on Thursday, just to have a little more security that they'll hatch. I thought my sister was going to get the Brinsea incubator last week but she's moving out tomorrow, so... she didn't get it. It's on her Christmas list anyway. Eventually I'll have it. Hope all that made since. So any news anyone?

 

[Rainier]

I know why my last hatch died!!!! My mom just bought the aqua thermometer that, sorry I don't remember who you are (could've been on another thread), someone mentioned. It is actually very, very accurate for a $2 thermometer (it might be half a degree to 1 degree off). So anyway, that Aqua was reading 90F and the built-in thermometer was reading 93F. So when I started out we had the incubator set at 101.5-103F (103 on accident) normally it set around 102-103F, which was actually around 99.5F!!! Then someone told me for a circulated air fan, the temp should be at 99.5F. SO I turned it down! That had the temp sitting at around 96-98! And all of the chicks made it to day 3, which if I remember correctly, was the day I turned the temperature down to 99.5 (actually 96.5). Agh! So now I've got the new thermometer for the FI and we're going again with 12-14 eggs. Plus my Silkie laid her first egg today. It was small, because most Silkie's are bantams in the US, it was long and slender but the inside was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Yolk and egg white was proportional to a standard size egg. Now we can't incubate hers because, well, she just started, but I have around 2 more eggs from my 2 laying RSLs. Although I could start on Friday, which will be exactly one week since I set my first eggs. I wanted to do it on Thursday, just to have a little more security that they'll hatch. I thought my sister was going to get the Brinsea incubator last week but she's moving out tomorrow, so... she didn't get it. It's on her Christmas list anyway. Eventually I'll have it. Hope all that made since. So any news anyone?

I am so glad you figured it out. I use the thermometers for aquarium (wal-mart $1.97). I have three of them One on each side of the eggs and one down the middle. I have found them to be very accurate. I also have an outdoor thermometer (it's inside the bator) and one that does temp and humidity. I found the info about those thermometers (aquarium ones) on the cheat sheet for incubating in the learning center.

I am on day 17 now with 11 still going!

Still air which is what I have runs at a hotter temp of 101 - 102, forced air should be 99.5 - 100. I think with this bator it takes several hatches to get it right. That is why I use my own eggs instead of paying for expensive eggs or mailed eggs. I'll be getting my other bator for Christmas as well. That being said I wouldn't trade these batches for anything. I may not have live chicks but I have learned so much that you just don't experience with the "set them and leave them" type bators.

 

[Frizzlett]

I have 2 different types of those Aqua thermometers but one only goes to 86 degrees (my mom doesn't notice these things lol) so I'm going to use it for the second week in the brooder. I totally agree with you. I was going to buy D'Uccle eggs then mine started laying and my rooster started fertilizing! So now I have nothing to lose but a few chicks. Even if I lose all of these, I've got the new incubator coming and we're going to have a 2 broody Silkies and a Cochin (hopefully) in the Spring. Gosh! Spring seems so far away. Spring and Summer went by WAY too fast for me. I'm not ready for winter at all. I'm already putting on my grumpy face.

 

[Frizzlett]

I've got a dozen eggs ready to go either tomorrow or Friday. My girls probably won't lay tomorrow, but that's what I've said for 4 days now lol. I'll candle them before they go in to make sure they aren't too porous. My first RSL to start laying, has laid every day for 9 days and my other RSL every day for 8 days. So proud of them!

 

[Rainier]

I'll be right behind you. Soon as this guy's move to the brooder, bator gets cleaned and restocked.

We are getting 7 eggs a day now. I don't hatch any eggs under 50 grams that come from regular size chickens.

 

[Frizzlett]

I don't have a scale to weigh my eggs so we'll see what happens lol