Little Giant incubator...Any thoughts?...suggestions?

[NateDomRIR]

I went ahead and bought this little bator. I was going to build my own, but I'm building my mini hatchery right now and I have chicken fever with eggs in the mail and piling up in the fridge.
Any helps would be appreciated. I bought the auto egg turner, but find it difficult putting water in the bottom for the humidity. Any suggestions?
TSC didn't have the fan, does any one know for sure what is needed AC or DC?
Thanks for your help in advance, Nate

 

[macnugget]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=133470

 

[Bettacreek]

I used a piece of airline tubing (for aquarium use, or can be bought at home supply stores, like Lowes) and stuck that through a vent hole and the other end through the wire on the bottom to the water tray. Works like a charm. It works so well that I did the same thing for my new 1588. I personally use a bird feeding syringe to shoot water through the tube, but any type of syringe should work, and in fact, the baby medicine ones in the pharmacy section of Walmart should be absolutely perfect.
The 1588 has an autoturner as well, so I won't have to open it period, except to put eggs in and take them out to put them in the hatcher (the LG forced air that I'm currently using).
I have absolutely no idea for the AC vs DC, so, well, good luck with that!

 

[HappyHatch'en]

Fan....a small computer fan is 12v DC, use an old cell phone battery charge for power source....don't blow fan directly onto the eggs...
and Keep doing your research here at BYU...
HappyHatch'en

 

[ChickenTender63]

I bought my fans at Northern Tools. The store that is close to me has 3 different sizes available depending upon what size bator you have. I have a larger cabinet style that I built so I put two of the 4 1/2" fans in the top and wired them to an old ac adapter I had laying around. They work like a charm! I think I paid $6 or $7 each for them.

I am lucky enough to have a store within 5 miles of home. If you don't, maybe try online and see if you can get it shipped.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[NateDomRIR]

Okay i installed a dc pc fan with an adjustable ac/dc xformer 1.5-12 volts that I've had for years from radio shack. So I guess I can play with the fan adjustment too. I have it sucking up from the eggs. tomorrow i'll buy longer screws to offset it 1/2", right now it's an 1/8".

Bettacreek...Do you just fill the main reservoir, or all three? Three hoses or one?
Thanks for all yalls help, Nate

 

[NateDomRIR]

I stalled the fan 1/2"down off of the top blowing down on the eggs. I also made and installed a homemade water wiggle and taped it across two of the egg holes in the middle. My five year old sone was disassembling a microwave that I took the fan out of for later use, anyhow I installed the feet from the micro onto my LG. I hope that doesn't effect the airflow or anything.

 

[berkeleysprings]

i have tried the computer fan trick with cell charger and the fan burns out quick mecause the volts are not right so mbe careful

 

[j.luetkemeyer]

I would like to add the fan is key, especially when you are using an autoturner. I have a still air and did not get very good hatch rates the first two hatches. I noticed toward toward the end of the second hatch the temperature changes more significantly than I thought as the turner moves from straight up to fully tillted to the side. The temperature drops 1.5 degrees as the turner makes it to either side. I believe this is the sole reason for my hatches not being as successful. I am currently designing a cabinet style incubator with attached hatcher and brooder. A mini hatchery. I can't wait to get it done and see what my hatch rate is.

 

[NateDomRIR]

Yea, the fan won't even start at the 1.5/3vdc setting, I have it on 4.5vdc, 6vdc seemed like it was blowing to much and evaporating the water more quickly. I'm getting it tweaked.
Setting my first clutch wednesday.
I also turned my fan back around so it is sucking up from the eggs because part of the water wiggler was under part of the fan and it was giving me high readings, now there closer to the other two Temp/hum. gauges I have in there.
Which Humidity reading should use? The water wiggler gauge or the other two? The water wiggler acurite indoor/outdoor temp/hum gauge reads 99.0*/39%. The acurite temp/hum gauge in bator reads 101*/36%. The springfield temp/hum gauge in bator reads 99.1*/41%.