Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[cmom]

Hi all-just wanted to share my experience. i bought an LG from TSC. I had my doubts as I had read many reviews on this product, and they were not good. It was suggested to me to buy a Genesis HovaBator, but didn't want to spend the money so I bought the LG.
I set 6 eggs that I took from the coop that morning. DH also wanted me to see if the huge egg I had gotten the day before and had put in the fridge, would hatch. (i knew t wouldn't, so I don't count it)
The night before I set up the incubator I regulated the temp using the thermometer that came with it. I filled the channels to the top, set the eggs and put in the thermometer. Everyday I turned the eggs by hand 3x. I just kept watching the thermometer. I would very carefully turn the dial if needed. I do not have a fan either. One day when I came back from town the temp said 103. I lifted the lid to let some heat escape and turned down the dial.
On lockdown day I added a digital thermometer and humidity thing that is meant to detect indoor and out door humidity that hubby got for Christmas. I had not even thought about humidity before lockdown (ths is my first hatch) I added water, and duct taped the seam. The humidity stablized to around 70% and the temp stayed between 97 and 100.
I hatched 4 of 6 eggs on day 20. The other 2 eggs were clear when I candled them around day 23.
I will be hatching a dozen white chantecler eggs this month using the same method. I hope it works again.

It is a good idea to add rocks, bottled water just about anything to fill up the incubator when incubating a few eggs as the more you have in it the steadier I have found the incubator temperature will stay and when hand turning the incubator will recover quicker..

 

[judge]

Quote: Thanks for the idea!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: With the LG I'm not so concerned about the cycling temperatures. I'm more interested in the overall effect on the central egg temperature, as would be measured by a water weasel thingy. THe LG does cycle. Fans moderate the cold- hot areas another quirk of the LG. I move the eggs around or rotate the lid to ensure the eggs receive the same temperatures.

Right now I"m trying to undertand why one side of the LG is cooler than the otherside. Makes no sense to me at this point. IT is running several degrees less. I have covered both large holes in hopes of evening out the temps.Wait and see. . . .

 

[OR4-hmom]

With the LG I'm not so concerned about the cycling temperatures. I'm more interested in the overall effect on the central egg temperature, as would be measured by a water weasel thingy. THe LG does cycle. Fans moderate the cold- hot areas another quirk of the LG. I move the eggs around or rotate the lid to ensure the eggs receive the same temperatures.

Right now I"m trying to undertand why one side of the LG is cooler than the otherside. Makes no sense to me at this point. IT is running several degrees less. I have covered both large holes in hopes of evening out the temps.Wait and see. . . .

I've only hatch once before and when I saw that some people were tilting the incubator rather than turning the eggs I figured I would give it a try. I found the low side was cooler than the high side, so I'm back to hand turning.

Is the cool side the one where the two ends of the heater meet?

I'm trying to figure out how to get humidity up for hatch. This LG was given to me, no instructions except those found here on BYC. My first hatch I had shrink wrapping problems and trying to get humidity up prior to lock down. Do you use both red plugs, take both out? I've got 4 sponges in the bottom I've been wetting , water in both reserviors, 2 glass jars I've been adding water to and haven't gotten it over 45% humidity!

 

[judge]

Quote: For me- at lockdown I filled the reservoirs to the top and duct taped the seam where the lid met the base. I left the red plugs in and the humidity stayed around 70% .4 out of 6 hatched with no problems.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I hatch turkey poults in mine and can get the humidity up to 80% in the summer. Air flow is very important as hatchilings need a lot of fresh air to breath. I also follow the instructions which is to take BOTH red plugs out.

YOu can search the manufactuer for the online instructions. If you have the box just type in the makers name and try to find the instructions. I don't think you really need them-- I read mine several times, then read the stuff on here and tossed the instructions in a pile of papers. lol

DO you have the 4 sponges in water? SO they have a constant water supply to the sponges??

Shrinkwrapping can happen because the earlier days resulted in too much moisture loss going into lock down. A tricky balance.

 

[OR4-hmom]

I have the sponges under the air holes in the top so I can just squirt water on them with a syringe. I have 2 small jars with water in them (no lids), that I will cover with more sponge pieces to prevent drowning at lockdown. I have tubing run to the reservoirs in the bottom that have water in them so that I can add more water anytime. The highest I've gotten the humidity is 49%, and that is with both plugs in. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to move it to a steamy bathroom-but 4 days won't work for lockdown.

Still brainstorming down here, you would think it would not be a problem in OR in the winter.

 

[Arielle]

I have the sponges under the air holes in the top so I can just squirt water on them with a syringe. I have 2 small jars with water in them (no lids), that I will cover with more sponge pieces to prevent drowning at lockdown. I have tubing run to the reservoirs in the bottom that have water in them so that I can add more water anytime. The highest I've gotten the humidity is 49%, and that is with both plugs in. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to move it to a steamy bathroom-but 4 days won't work for lockdown.

Still brainstorming down here, you would think it would not be a problem in OR in the winter.

CUt a sponge to fit in the open jars--they need to sit into the water and the tops sticking above the water. I put in 4 and can hit 80%

 

[OR4-hmom]

Yes, that is how I did it for my first hatch and how I'll set it up at lockdown. Just trying variations now looking for the magic combination.

 

[Arielle]

Yes, that is how I did it for my first hatch and how I'll set it up at lockdown. Just trying variations now looking for the magic combination.