Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[cmom]

For the first hatches I am going to be hatching just that....my barnyard mutts! I hope to refine and refine and have good hatch rates by summer, as I have some Japanese Bantams and would like to hatch their eggs out!

I think I have the temp adjustment on the thermostat at just about perfect! It cuts off at 101 and on at 99 and that is measuring with 2 thermometers (digital) as well as an old mercury thermometer in at least 3 different places.

My plan for this first hatch is to incubate AND hatch in the LG. After that and the test run, I plan to incubate in the coolerbator and hatch in the LG. As my production increases and more hatches are needed, I intent to build a cabinet incubator. I will post more pictures later.

Thanks

Sounds like a good plan...

 

[dolfi]

Wao I have learned so much here. I wish I would have seen this before I bought my second incubator. I would have saved some money

 

[CrookdBeak13]

Here are some updated pictures! So far so good....Cooler-Bator is holding good temperature and the thermostat is functioning as it should, the only thing left to do is to add a plexiglass or glass viewing pane so I don't have to open the top each and every time I want to look at the other thermometers. One of the ones purchased today is a digital thermometer with a wireless sensor and the temp between the 3 thermometers is only 1° difference, so I will take it. I have to get new mercury type thermometers as the 2 I bought today are wayyyy off! I am not sure how they are so off, but when they should read 32°, one will read 40° and the other 25°....therefore, I will not use them.

I added a fan today. I have had it, it just had a 12V cigarette lighter plug on it, so I wasn't sure how I was going to use it. I purchased a AC-DC Converter on E-bay yesterday, but tonight was reading through some other posts and someone said a cell phone charger could be used, and whattya know---it works wonderfully.

So after that long ramble, here are the update pics:



There is a thermometer in the bottom of the cooler bator and 2 on the egg turner rack. That way I get a temp for the 2 separate areas.



And just for good measure, my 9 incubating eggs in the LG at a steady temp of 102 because it is Still Air and no fan!

 

[Arielle]

Wao I have learned so much here. I wish I would have seen this before I bought my second incubator. I would have saved some money

Dolfi-- this thread is primarily focused on the LG incubator. THe fun of building a homemade is incendental but fun to watch. You will find MANY threads on building an incubator. Now that you have some of the words to use in searches you can make your next incubator!!

 

[cmom]

Here are some updated pictures! So far so good....Cooler-Bator is holding good temperature and the thermostat is functioning as it should, the only thing left to do is to add a plexiglass or glass viewing pane so I don't have to open the top each and every time I want to look at the other thermometers. One of the ones purchased today is a digital thermometer with a wireless sensor and the temp between the 3 thermometers is only 1° difference, so I will take it. I have to get new mercury type thermometers as the 2 I bought today are wayyyy off! I am not sure how they are so off, but when they should read 32°, one will read 40° and the other 25°....therefore, I will not use them.

I added a fan today. I have had it, it just had a 12V cigarette lighter plug on it, so I wasn't sure how I was going to use it. I purchased a AC-DC Converter on E-bay yesterday, but tonight was reading through some other posts and someone said a cell phone charger could be used, and whattya know---it works wonderfully.

There is a thermometer in the bottom of the cooler bator and 2 on the egg turner rack. That way I get a temp for the 2 separate areas.

And just for good measure, my 9 incubating eggs in the LG at a steady temp of 102 because it is Still Air and no fan!

You are correct you can use a DC charger from either a cell phone or an old cordless phone. If you can find an AC fan then you can eliminate the extra plug and wire it directly to the power in your incubator. I put AC fans in my styrofoams. I had originally put in DC but eventually replaced them so I didn't have to deal with another power cord. Keep up the good work. I still prefer to hatch in my LG's.

 

[CrookdBeak13]

Thanks! It definitely is still taking some adjustments! I had to rotate the fan to lay down under the egg turner but still facing towards the light bulb that is by itself on the back wall. With the fan standing up, it was cooling the thermostat down and therefore not allowing the lights to turn off. With laying it on the bottom, the lights are at least able to cut on and off--accomplishment #1 for the day! haha

Now...I think I am going to have to lower the wattage of the bulbs, one at least if not both. With the bulbs themselves the thermostat seemed to cut off at 102° and on at 98°, which I was happy with...add the fan and it seems to be cutting on at 100 and off at 105.....

So I guess my question is.....do I adjust the thermostat down since it seemed to be at the right temp prior to fan installation, or do I adjust the wattage of the bulbs??

I have also been pondering moving the light setup so the thermostat is directly between the two of them and adding a fan above them once it comes in......Oh the joys of incubator building (and this is my first, however I am already planning my cabinet bator)!

I am impressed with the LG....after the first week when I was a maniac about temp checking, it seems to hold steady at about 100-102° depending on the direction the eggs are turned.....I am going to be adding the sponges soon as my eggs go into lockdown on Sunday! Oh how eggciting! I will definitely post pics of my first ever hatch next week as they hatch!

Thanks so much, again, for all your help! You guys rock!

 

[cmom]

Thanks! It definitely is still taking some adjustments! I had to rotate the fan to lay down under the egg turner but still facing towards the light bulb that is by itself on the back wall. With the fan standing up, it was cooling the thermostat down and therefore not allowing the lights to turn off. With laying it on the bottom, the lights are at least able to cut on and off--accomplishment #1 for the day! haha

Now...I think I am going to have to lower the wattage of the bulbs, one at least if not both. With the bulbs themselves the thermostat seemed to cut off at 102° and on at 98°, which I was happy with...add the fan and it seems to be cutting on at 100 and off at 105.....

So I guess my question is.....do I adjust the thermostat down since it seemed to be at the right temp prior to fan installation, or do I adjust the wattage of the bulbs??

I have also been pondering moving the light setup so the thermostat is directly between the two of them and adding a fan above them once it comes in......Oh the joys of incubator building (and this is my first, however I am already planning my cabinet bator)!

I am impressed with the LG....after the first week when I was a maniac about temp checking, it seems to hold steady at about 100-102° depending on the direction the eggs are turned.....I am going to be adding the sponges soon as my eggs go into lockdown on Sunday! Oh how eggciting! I will definitely post pics of my first ever hatch next week as they hatch!

Thanks so much, again, for all your help! You guys rock!

You can try lower wattage bulbs. I use 15 watt bulbs. I did have larger bulbs in mine in the beginning but I don't recall why I went to the lower wattage bulbs but I think it was the temperature and since I had put 2 bulbs in. I was going to put this in my coolerbator http://incubatorwarehouse.com/48-watt-incukit-dc.html. Here is another one, http://incubatorwarehouse.com/100w-incu-kit.html, but this would be for a cabinet incubator.

 

[Arielle]

Here are other possiblities too:

Keep one bulb on at all times and the second one fluctuate on/off. Try different size bulbs to get the tep you need. Also remember that the eggs don't change temps very fast so swinging too hgh and too low is not as crutual as everyone thinks. IT is about the average as well.

I also played with how secure the lid was on my unit and that changed the temps considerably whether the top was cockeyed a little or a lot. Lots of air flow both ways though.

Makig my own 'bator was the most challenging construction I had ever tried, very frustrating, but also very rewarding when it finally worked and I could hatch a lot of chicks. First time wiring anything too . Whooot.

For small batches and hatching I use the LG though.

 

[CrookdBeak13]

Here are other possiblities too:

Keep one bulb on at all times and the second one fluctuate on/off. Try different size bulbs to get the tep you need. Also remember that the eggs don't change temps very fast so swinging too hgh and too low is not as crutual as everyone thinks. IT is about the average as well.

I also played with how secure the lid was on my unit and that changed the temps considerably whether the top was cockeyed a little or a lot. Lots of air flow both ways though.

Makig my own 'bator was the most challenging construction I had ever tried, very frustrating, but also very rewarding when it finally worked and I could hatch a lot of chicks. First time wiring anything too . Whooot.

For small batches and hatching I use the LG though.

I actually went with adjusting the thermostat a touch and that has worked like a charm so far! Cuts off at 102 and back on at 99...That is running both 40W bulbs at the same time with the fan laying on its side on the bottom. I like the setup and you are right....frustrating but so rewarding when it works! My bator has 4 air hole vents and the top has a constant crack and it maintains temp.

I plan to incubate in the cooler bator and hatch in the LG after this first hatch.

I feel bad for hi-jacking the LG thread, so if I have any more questions, I will post a new thread!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Both Cmom and I use a homemade incubator for most of our incubating and the LG for the lockdown and hatching phase. So no worries.

As you niticed, a number of ways to solve the control of the temp. In my incuator the top usually is well open, as in 4 sq inches open-- so lots of ventilation-- because that is what maintains the right temp in my set up. Now yu have me wanting to play with it and tweekit!! lol