Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[Arielle]

I like the dry method--very easy. I do keep an eye on the air cells as the humidity varies a lot here in Massachusetts, and I like to be sure the air cells are developing correctly. Some areas are so dry as to need water added for a good hatch. THe moisture here has been at 55-60% RH, much different than early winter with wood stove running. That's why I check the air cells for size and adjust the humidity if needed.

I hope something happens,too !

 

[aukuma]

An update.

Went into lockdown with 14 eggs. Ended up with a bunch of quitters. I hatched out 5 silkies and two americaunas. I did a couple eggtopsies and found that two americaunas never developed past absorbing their yolk, blaming this on the staggered hatch and opening the bator to take out the silkies and one egg had a crack in it when I set it.

While I did hatch some, I dont consider this a raging success. I will be starting some more eggs on saturday. I will set them all at the same time. I think I will try the dry method until lockdown.

I will also be laying these down and turning by hand rather than using the carton. I am still debating on using the carton for lockdown since it was nice to have the babies hatch in there and not rolling the other eggs around.

I still dont like this incubator. Maybe if it had a fan and a turner it would be easier, I dunno.

 

[Arielle]

An update.

Went into lockdown with 14 eggs. Ended up with a bunch of quitters. I hatched out 5 silkies and two americaunas. I did a couple eggtopsies and found that two americaunas never developed past absorbing their yolk, blaming this on the staggered hatch and opening the bator to take out the silkies and one egg had a crack in it when I set it.

While I did hatch some, I dont consider this a raging success. I will be starting some more eggs on saturday. I will set them all at the same time. I think I will try the dry method until lockdown.

I will also be laying these down and turning by hand rather than using the carton. I am still debating on using the carton for lockdown since it was nice to have the babies hatch in there and not rolling the other eggs around.

I still dont like this incubator. Maybe if it had a fan and a turner it would be easier, I dunno.

As diffiuclt as these first attempts at hatching are, you are learning an incredable amount aboaut hatching that others can only guess at. Kudo to you for sticking with the LG . If you can hatch in an LG you can hatch in most anything.

YOu did not mention candling during the 7th, 14the and 18th days to check on the develop ment o the aircells. Do you check the air cells?

THe embryos get oriented by about day 7, don't remember exactly, and the eggs should probably stay oriented the same way( incubation and lokcdown) so the chick knows which end is up. Just my opinion. You are welcome to experiment and see how it works out. That's the fun of incubating.

Let us know how it goes!!

 

[cmom]

I agree, if you can master an LG, you can hatch in anything. I did put a fan in my incubator and also invested in a turner. I have no regrets.

 

[cowchick11]

I don't have a fan but have made a few modifications like making my adjusting dial easier to handle as several others. I bought a turner and with that and instructions to no touch anything to the rest of the family things have gone fairly well with a 65% hatch rate for my last batch

 

[cmom]

Does your 65% hatch rate include all eggs or just the ones that were developing?

 

[cowchick11]

Must have put something in wrong, it was 62% from start to finish and I lost one in the incubator making it a 58% live hatch rate. I still consider that pretty good.

 

[Cold Canadian]

I have been useing a Little Giant now for three years and so far I have never had any issues with temp control as well as humidity ?. I keep it in a room that stays at a consistant temp and I also installed a computor fan in mine and I do use a turner though ..I would be interested in learning more about not useing a turner and not turning eggs ?

 

[Marty1876]

I've never attemte no turn hatch. I think if you turned for the first week, then only turned once a day, it would work. It might be fun to try it out with a control group. Maybe I'll take out the center turners and only leave the ends. Put eggs in the ends, and then in the center have some I never turn, and some turned only the first week, and some turned daily, just to see how the hatch rate varies.

My LG is up and down with humidity, but the addition of sponges helped. I sometimes still have the slowly wandering temp, but it doesn't usually get more than a degree or two high or low before its caught. It takes a few hours for eggs to change temps internally from ext. heat, so my hatches are still ok so far.

Mine has a fan that came with it, and I use turners for everything but goose eggs and jumbo pekings - both are just too large for LG turners.

 

[Arielle]

Must have put something in wrong, it was 62% from start to finish and I lost one in the incubator making it a 58% live hatch rate. I still consider that pretty good.

What was 62%? Humidity or hatching rate? If it is humidity, is that for lockdown at hatching or the entire incubating RH??

I'm just finishing a batch now. The room was 50-55%RH, inside the incubator was 20-25% RH, and now at lock down it's at 54%.