Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[Arielle]

Quote: Good luck.

 

[quailtrail]

I'm wondering if its worth buying the auto turnovers as well vs hand turning? Thoughts?

 

[rayray983]

I'm wondering if its worth buying the auto turnovers as well vs hand turning? Thoughts?

I have done both methods hand turn and turner I prefer hand turning I'm more involved and monitor eggs and incubator temps etc a lot more when hand turning the auto turning give well at least me a false sense that I can set it and forget it where as hand turning I touch every egg multiple times a day and I for know from experience my duck eggs hatch is a lot higher when hand turned wish they would make a turner that turns eggs on their sides I'd love to try that

 

[cmom]

I'm wondering if its worth buying the auto turnovers as well vs hand turning? Thoughts?

I have also done it both ways of hand turning and a turner. I prefer a turner myself. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[quailtrail]

Nice experiment. THank you for confirming my suspisions on that method with the LG.

I put the eggs in cartons and turn the cartons when shipped eggs require upright incubating and hatching.

Doing all my re-reading as I get ready to try again. I do have a second incubator that has been running at recommended temps. Looking back at my notes with the last hatch. A few tested temps on top of the eggs were 101. On the bottome of eggs consistenetly 99.5-100.

So Hoping this batch, due to hatch Friday, will have positive results.

As I get ready for next setting - I will have shipped eggs. @Arielle How long did you keep them in the carton? I have read various recommendations on this. When you refer to turning the cartons - did you mean tilting them?

Sorry for so many questions. I just want my babies to hatch.

 

[Arielle]

Questions are good-- I have been hatching only a few years and I was afraid to try when I read about all the failures. I read and read and read until I figured out why this was happening--- people were not monitoring the air cell develeopment. So now that you have that conquored you are ready to try shipped eggs.

Because the air cells are often dmaged in shipping, setting the eggs upright in a turner or egg carton, the air cells have a chance of healing, or at least getting into the right place.

I don't have a turner so I use an egg carton cut down, and the bottoms cut out for air circulation. Put them in the incubator right away, no 24 hour waiting. BUt don't turn them for about 5 days.

THe great shipping experiment thread has a bit of info on this-- ask Ronott of Sally Sunshine for the info; they will help.

 

[quailtrail]

@Arielle Thanks so much!!!

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I recently hatched some shipped eggs for a friend. She gave me 32 eggs of which 4 turned out to be not fertile. Of the remaining 28 eggs only one did not hatch. When I put them in the incubator I do it as soon as I get the eggs. I leave the turner off for a day and start turning the eggs the next day. Good luck and have fun...

 

[quailtrail]

@cmom congrats! !!

So humidity wise...what do u experienced LG hatches shoot for at lock down?

 

[rayray983]

I shoot for 50 to 60% I fill the btm and I add a coffee cup full of hot water to a corner with a couple of coffee filters in the cup and draped over the side puts it right at 60%