Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[quailtrail]

6 out and 3 others pipped

 

[Arielle]

i'm using all of them.... how much water should be in the incubater? my levels are at 67 and I want them at like 48 right?

Courtney-- where are you located?? If you are in the desert area, the eggs need the added humidity. If you are in humid Florida you are fighting to keep the humidity lowe enough. In my area I am just right, for now. I do not add water when I in cubate-- meaning I check the eggs on days 7, 14 and 18 to match a diagram of the air cells at each of those days into incubation. THe % humidity is what ever gets you to those matching air cells. IMO 48 is way too high.

How many days are you into incubating? And can you find an online diagram that you can print??I kept a copy with my flashlight for candling.

 

[Arielle]

6 out and 3 others pipped

 

[griggy]

Hi all, I'm new here. I just had a broody try to hatch shipped eggs. Only one hatched, but I loved the experience so decided to try incubating. I'm using a LG still air with no fan. So far everything looks good. Tomorrow is day 14. Can you all let me know what you do at lockdown? Do you start at day 18? Can you give me the basics just so I feel like I'm not going to mess it up? Oh, they are all chicken eggs.

 

[quailtrail]

7 out now!!!! Woohoo!!!!

 

[Melissa F]

Oh boy- yesterday my husband found two more incubators at work (he found my first a few weeks ago and brought it home for me to borrow) this time along with an egg turner and two uninstalled fan kits! Now I'm going to have to go through this thread again and read the turner and fan posts that I skipped over the first time!
It turns out that the incubators he brought home at Hovobators- but I'm guessing they're pretty similar to Little Giants?

 

[Arielle]

Hi all, I'm new here. I just had a broody try to hatch shipped eggs. Only one hatched, but I loved the experience so decided to try incubating. I'm using a LG still air with no fan. So far everything looks good. Tomorrow is day 14. Can you all let me know what you do at lockdown? Do you start at day 18? Can you give me the basics just so I feel like I'm not going to mess it up? Oh, they are all chicken eggs.

Be sure to candle the eggs and compare to an online diagram that you can print out for comparison. Look for a diagram to your liking, some are color and some black and white" Air cells on day 7th, 14th and 18th of incubation" .

Hopefully the air cells are right on target!!

That is important as it helps to decide if you should delay "lockdown' or proceed.

If air cells are goodk up the humidity to about 60% using a small jar and sponge poking out. Use as many as necessary to reach that level ish.

How have the temps been running-- a little high, a little low, or spot on??

 

[Arielle]

7 out now!!!! Woohoo!!!!

What no more updates??????????????

 

[Arielle]

Oh boy- yesterday my husband found two more incubators at work (he found my first a few weeks ago and brought it home for me to borrow) this time along with an egg turner and two uninstalled fan kits! Now I'm going to have to go through this thread again and read the turner and fan posts that I skipped over the first time!
It turns out that the incubators he brought home at Hovobators- but I'm guessing they're pretty similar to Little Giants?

You are welcome to vivist with us of course, but I bet there is a hovabator thread running that is worth reading too.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Hi all, I'm new here. I just had a broody try to hatch shipped eggs. Only one hatched, but I loved the experience so decided to try incubating. I'm using a LG still air with no fan. So far everything looks good. Tomorrow is day 14. Can you all let me know what you do at lockdown? Do you start at day 18? Can you give me the basics just so I feel like I'm not going to mess it up? Oh, they are all chicken eggs.

I usually lockdown by removing eggs from turner (or stop hand turning) on day 18 but one time I was doing an incubation in the classroom and I stopped on day 16 because day 18 was on Sunday I have no way to get into the building by myself. Most times I fill up the wells as full as possible (i added the straws to the air holes to increase my well size and I don't worry about missing the tiny wells in the middle) and some times I just fill a glass full since I have sponges in there to wick the water up anyway. I turn off the fan, and candle to try to remove the obivous quitters and to get the largest part of the air cell up (but I don't stress about it since chicks roll the eggs around during hatch anyway). To combat that I may try cupcake wrappers for each egg this time. I also have a couple of pieces of rubber shelf liner across the wire grate. I think that's it. Now I just watch and wait. Once a day I will remove the dry hatchlings to the brooder and add water if necessary. If I see a membrane drying out, I'll put some coconut oil on the membrane.

Oh boy- yesterday my husband found two more incubators at work (he found my first a few weeks ago and brought it home for me to borrow) this time along with an egg turner and two uninstalled fan kits! Now I'm going to have to go through this thread again and read the turner and fan posts that I skipped over the first time!
It turns out that the incubators he brought home at Hovobators- but I'm guessing they're pretty similar to Little Giants?

I'd guess that too - stryofoam type. If you have a LLG and hoverbator, I'd be interested in hearing how they are different. Lucky you getting to borrow the incubators from hubby's work? Where does he work (if you can tell and you can be generic).

CG