Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[SimplyLogan]

I calibrated the hygrometer... with the salt test and noted that it was off... but never checked the temp on it... I had a separate thermo that was in there and the temp was reading the same on top of the eggs as the probe was... so I would say that it is accurate....

But I know that I've had Dips in temp in the night... down to 99.5 ( it has a memory option on the probe) Do you think that I should Move the Incubators to some place else... is the basement too cool for them? Temp down there is 60-65 degrees

Michele

I have found that a steady room temp helps in the temp fluctuations, but my hovabator does not get those fluctuations like the LG does. (or at least mine don't, its very steady).

My thermo in the Hobart was off. I had to adjust it. What I did.... I had a digital meat thermometer that i used the ice water method to calibrate it. Then I checked it two ways against the hovabator. First I put it through one of the holes and noted temp diff. then just to make sure, I placed it inside on the rack, but not directly below the fan. The digital meat thermometer stayed the same and showed me the hovabator was off. I think it was off maybe .5. but when you are incubating at 99.5 and it becomes 99. that can slow development.

 

[fiset94]

EVERY eggtopsy that I have done has a FULL yoke sack.. so they are not even starting to absorb the sack and they go past day 21... so maybe delayed development = too low of temp? I will try to keep a CLOSE eye on the temp and make sure that it doesn't drop below 102 on this next batch... I am going to candle them on the 21st.. which will be day 14 and see how they are doing. I live in MA and I am not in a higher elevation....

I asked a man that I saw at the local co op if he incubates and he said yes... and that I should be keeping the incubator at 60% humidity day 1-18 and 70 at lockdown... at 100 degrees. ( I told him that I have a still air)

I also asked a breeder friend that occasionally lends out her incubator to schools and she said that I should keep my bator at 99.5 - even though it is still air...

But if my issue is heat... and my bator is typically at 101-102 with dips to 99.. .I don't think that dropping the temp to their suggestions would be the right decision at this point.

Ugh... I just want ONE to hatch... Just ONE...

 

[WalnutHill]

A steady room temp helps the LG 9200, as it seems that the LG 9200 uses a "differential controller" rather than one that switches on and off based on actual temperature readings. A wafer would be more accurate, as it controls on actual temperature. Or a remote thermostat with a temperature probe that can be placed inside at egg level would help. Since my house is heated with wood at one end of the house, supplemented with gas, and equipped with setback thermostats that maintain nighttime temps of 57 and daytime of 63, LGs are poor performers in my home.

Once spring weather arrives, the heat is off entirely and the house swings from 50-70. Again, not good for the LG.

I equipped my LGs with remote thermostats and they did much better at maintaining a constant temperature, but my DIY cabinet is still MUCH better.

 

[WalnutHill]

EVERY eggtopsy that I have done has a FULL yoke sack.. so they are not even starting to absorb the sack and they go past day 21... so maybe delayed development = too low of temp? I will try to keep a CLOSE eye on the temp and make sure that it doesn't drop below 102 on this next batch... I am going to candle them on the 21st.. which will be day 14 and see how they are doing. I live in MA and I am not in a higher elevation....

I asked a man that I saw at the local co op if he incubates and he said yes... and that I should be keeping the incubator at 60% humidity day 1-18 and 70 at lockdown... at 100 degrees. ( I told him that I have a still air)

I also asked a breeder friend that occasionally lends out her incubator to schools and she said that I should keep my bator at 99.5 - even though it is still air...

But if my issue is heat... and my bator is typically at 101-102 with dips to 99.. .I don't think that dropping the temp to their suggestions would be the right decision at this point.

Ugh... I just want ONE to hatch... Just ONE...

Where are you reading the 101, and with what? With my foam incubators, if I drop a long stem thermometer through a hole in the top, I get an inaccurately high reading. If I push it in through the side at wire level, I get a much lower reading. If I push it through the turner cord slot, which is about the same height as the top of the eggs in the turner, I get a better reading. But my hatch rates in the LG were still not all I wanted, around 50-60%.

Thinking about it, I wonder if the turners are a bad idea in the still air. Only the air cell really warms up, which does not benefit the embryo much. Have you tried incubating the eggs on the floor if you do normally use a turner, and measuring the temps on top of the eggs?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

EVERY eggtopsy that I have done has a FULL yoke sack.. so they are not even starting to absorb the sack and they go past day 21... so maybe delayed development = too low of temp? I will try to keep a CLOSE eye on the temp and make sure that it doesn't drop below 102 on this next batch... I am going to candle them on the 21st.. which will be day 14 and see how they are doing. I live in MA and I am not in a higher elevation....

I asked a man that I saw at the local co op if he incubates and he said yes... and that I should be keeping the incubator at 60% humidity day 1-18 and 70 at lockdown... at 100 degrees. ( I told him that I have a still air)

I also asked a breeder friend that occasionally lends out her incubator to schools and she said that I should keep my bator at 99.5 - even though it is still air...

But if my issue is heat... and my bator is typically at 101-102 with dips to 99.. .I don't think that dropping the temp to their suggestions would be the right decision at this point.

Ugh... I just want ONE to hatch... Just ONE...

I think 60% humidity is CRAZY in a styrofoam (or any other bator) for that matter. I incubate at 30-35% first 17 days and 70-75% for lockdown and hatch. My chicks are healthy and have no issues hatching.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Where are you reading the 101, and with what? With my foam incubators, if I drop a long stem thermometer through a hole in the top, I get an inaccurately high reading. If I push it in through the side at wire level, I get a much lower reading. If I push it through the turner cord slot, which is about the same height as the top of the eggs in the turner, I get a better reading. But my hatch rates in the LG were still not all I wanted, around 50-60%.

Thinking about it, I wonder if the turners are a bad idea in the still air. Only the air cell really warms up, which does not benefit the embryo much. Have you tried incubating the eggs on the floor if you do normally use a turner, and measuring the temps on top of the eggs?

I will say those turner motors throw off a lot of heat!!! That is why this last hatch I took my turner out and hand turned. Usually I just keep eggs back away from the corner that the turner motor is in, but this last time I had a full bator and couldn't do that. I had my upright digital set up in that corner and it was reading at least 2 degrees higher than down on the eggs. Once I pulled the turner and laid them down I had room to move that thermometer to the floor and it leveled out with the others.

 

[mswendeu]

EVERY eggtopsy that I have done has a FULL yoke sack.. so they are not even starting to absorb the sack and they go past day 21... so maybe delayed development = too low of temp? I will try to keep a CLOSE eye on the temp and make sure that it doesn't drop below 102 on this next batch... I am going to candle them on the 21st.. which will be day 14 and see how they are doing. I live in MA and I am not in a higher elevation....

I asked a man that I saw at the local co op if he incubates and he said yes... and that I should be keeping the incubator at 60% humidity day 1-18 and 70 at lockdown... at 100 degrees. ( I told him that I have a still air)

I also asked a breeder friend that occasionally lends out her incubator to schools and she said that I should keep my bator at 99.5 - even though it is still air...

But if my issue is heat... and my bator is typically at 101-102 with dips to 99.. .I don't think that dropping the temp to their suggestions would be the right decision at this point.

Ugh... I just want ONE to hatch... Just ONE...

Fiset I can see how frustrating this is. Yours swings low mine goes through the roof.... like 106 ugh. I saw on another post somewhere maintain constants the person places the incubator in a box and stuffs the sides with towels and than covers the viewing windows at night with a folded wash cloth. I have a probe thermometer in there on top of the eggs because the temp swing was freakin me out.
Do you have a probe thermometer in there? I also saw to keep the probe at egg level since the eggs wiggle (in my case) and it falls off. To tape the probe to a golf ball and place it inside. Than it is at egg level and wont slide off or roll off. Sounds good to me so I am going to try that.
I wish you luck. I know this can be frustrating. Hang in there and keep a log of what you are doing everyday on each hatch, Once one set has a hatch than read back see what you did and repeat. While keeping a log.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have to wonder about ventilation, with the covering and sticking the bator in boxes and such. Ventilation is one ingredient that we often overlook.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have to wonder about ventilation, with the covering and sticking the bator in boxes and such. Ventilation is one ingredient that we often overlook.

That always makes me wonder too. When I recommend wrapping a towel/blanket around it I almost always say "around the sides, don't cover the vents/top".

 

[mswendeu]

I think 60% humidity is CRAZY in a styrofoam (or any other bator) for that matter. I incubate at 30-35% first 17 days and 70-75% for lockdown and hatch. My chicks are healthy and have no issues hatching.

I used no water and it stayed between 30-35% until lockdown than went up to 79% which gave me wiggle room for opening the bator and at the last hatched egg it was 69%.

I have to wonder about ventilation, with the covering and sticking the bator in boxes and such. Ventilation is one ingredient that we often overlook.

Another thing i saw in that post is that the person added extra vent holes one kiddy corner of each other. On the sides of the bator and a couple on top on the sides.