Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[cmom]

This is my first time incubating. How often do u guys add water and how much to maintain humidity. I don't have something to read humidity can add it when i get something on day 10 when I ck for furtility?? Also what is a max temp. I'm fluctuating with my temps I just don't want to go over. I haven't put my eggs in yet but I have some eggs that can't set out to much longer so I'm putting them in tonight. Any advice? Oh and what's internally piped mean?

Internally pip means that the chick has pierced the air cell inside the egg. Once they internally pip it can be up to a couple of days before they externally pip the shell and then another 24 hours or
sometimes just minutes before they hatch or zip which is the chick turning in the shell and pipping. The air inside the air cell can last a couple of days before the chick uses up the air in it.

In this picture the egg to the left of the bulb is zipped. The chick will hatch shortly The zip look like a line sort of around the middle of the egg. Just a little above the light is a shell from a chick that has already hatched.


In this picture you can see the external pips in a couple of the eggs.

 

[Desiree Brown]

Internally pip means that the chick has pierced the air cell inside the egg. Once they internally pip it can be up to a couple of days before they externally pip the shell and then another 24 hours or sometimes just minutes before they hatch or zip which is the chick turning in the shell and pipping. The air inside the air cell can last a couple of days before the chick uses up the air in it. In this picture the egg to the left of the bulb is zipped. The chick will hatch shortly The zip look like a line sort of around the middle of the egg. Just a little above the light is a shell from a chick that has already hatched. In this picture you can see the external pips in a couple of the eggs.

Thank you!! It's easy to feel overwhelmed but I think I'm doing ok. How do I tell if I have a chick internally piped. Also is it ok to put the bator on lock down even if some haven't internally piped? And is that also when I take them out if the egg turner? Thank you for all the help

 

[cmom]

This is my first time incubating. How often do u guys add water and how much to maintain humidity. I don't have something to read humidity can add it when i get something on day 10 when I ck for furtility?? Also what is a max temp. I'm fluctuating with my temps I just don't want to go over. I haven't put my eggs in yet but I have some eggs that can't set out to much longer so I'm putting them in tonight. Any advice? Oh and what's internally piped mean?

I hope you have read this thread, there is a lot of great advice. A little temperature fluctuation is OK and you need an hygrometer to read the humidity. The temperature can fluctuate between 98 and 101 and still have a successful hatch. Of course 99.5 is the ideal temperature. In my post prior to this one, the thing you see in the middle picture that is in the middle of the hatcher, is my hygrometer. If the temperature runs a little high the eggs could hatch a day or two early and if the temperature runs a little low the chicks could hatch a day or two late. Sometimes it is not too easy even at day 10 to see.anything in the eggs. You may be able to see the embryo. I used to candle at day 10 but now I usually don't candle until day 18 when I take the eggs out of the incubator and put them in the hatchers. I usually can't see movement but can definitely see the chick inside the shell and also any that turn out blank or quitters. Some that I thought could be quitters I marked the eggs and left them in the hatcher and to my surprise I have had some hatch.

 

[cmom]

Thank you!! It's easy to feel overwhelmed but I think I'm doing ok. How do I tell if I have a chick internally piped. Also is it ok to put the bator on lock down even if some haven't internally piped? And is that also when I take them out if the egg turner? Thank you for all the help

Take the eggs out of the turner on day 18 and lay the eggs on the wire. You may see the eggs wiggle which usually means they are internally pipping. Otherwise there is no other way to tell if the chick has internally pipped except if you hear the chick peeping in the shell. That means it has internally pipped.

 

[rayray983]

one silkie and one polish hatched on day 18 so ready for the rest to start at least the silkie has a buddy to keep em company while it waits for the other due late sat night early sun morn

 

[Llamaguy]

I recently finished working on my Arduino controlled thermostat. Only requires a 5VDC arduino (USB is a big, big plus) like a "Pro Micro", a temperature sensor, and a solid state relay, so only around $35 for digital control. Of course I added a 4" computer fan which is where I zip tied the sensor. Also requires rewiring the heating element directly to the power cord inside the incubator.

Even with room temperature fluctuating 10* between day and night the incubator stays right at 99.5*. Such an improvement over the standard which ruined a clutch in January. The code is probably a bit more complicated than necessary, which is left over from trying to smooth the temperature out before I found the smoothing table function.

Spoiler: code

#include <OneWire.h>
#include <DallasTemperature.h>

#define ONE_WIRE_BUS 2

OneWire oneWire(ONE_WIRE_BUS);
DallasTemperature sensors(&oneWire);
float t;
float h;
int x;
int c;
int b;
int readings[15];
int index = 0;
float average = 0;
float total = 0;

void setup(void)
{
Serial.begin(9600);
sensors.begin();
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
for (int thisReading = 0; thisReading < 5; thisReading++)
readings[thisReading] = 0;
}

void loop(void)
{
sensors.requestTemperatures();
total= total - readings[index];
readings[index] = ((sensors.getTempCByIndex(0) * 9 / 5 ) + 32);
total= total + readings[index];
index = index + 1;
if (index >= 15)
index = 0;
average = total / 15;
t = average;
//calibration, adjust this number to increase/decrease actual temperature
t = t - 5.80;

if (t > 100.50) {
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(1000);
}
else if (c < 15) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(1);
c = c + 1;
}
else if (t < h) {
if (t < 99.50) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(2000);
}
else {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1000);
}
}
else if (t > 99.49) {
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(500);
x = 0;
}
else if (t > 99.44) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(2500);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(750);
x = 0;
}
else if (t >99.40) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(333);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(667);
x = 0;
}
else if (t > 99.35) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(500);
x = 0;
}
else if (t > 99.00) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(600);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(400);
x = 0;
b = 0;
}
else if (t > 98.75) {
if (b == 5) {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1000);
b = b - 2;
}
else {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(800);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(200);
b = b + 1;
}
x = 0;
}
else if (t > 95.00) {
if (x > 4) {
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(1000);
x = 0;
}
else {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1000);
x = x + 1;
}
}
else {
digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1000);
}
h = t;
}

 

[Retrieverluvr]

I am a first time incubator and borrowed my friends LG with an egg turner and fan. I am on day 5. I have 3 reliable digital thermometers inside each is reading a different temp.....between 101 and 97. I have had to adjust the temp daily....if they all read below 99....or above 101. I have read through this thread roughly and can't seem to find the info I need as far as getting a more reliable temp throughout. I have been rotating the top because one side seems to be cooler....and the middle is always the coolest. Any tips??

 

[JWEBB]

I am a first time incubator and borrowed my friends LG with an egg turner and fan. I am on day 5. I have 3 reliable digital thermometers inside each is reading a different temp.....between 101 and 97. I have had to adjust the temp daily....if they all read below 99....or above 101. I have read through this thread roughly and can't seem to find the info I need as far as getting a more reliable temp throughout. I have been rotating the top because one side seems to be cooler....and the middle is always the coolest. Any tips??

You can put a computer fan in it, its fairly simple. Of course if its borrowed you should ask your friend !

 

[aart]

I am a first time incubator and borrowed my friends LG with an egg turner and fan. I am on day 5. I have 3 reliable digital thermometers inside each is reading a different temp.....between 101 and 97. I have had to adjust the temp daily....if they all read below 99....or above 101. I have read through this thread roughly and can't seem to find the info I need as far as getting a more reliable temp throughout. I have been rotating the top because one side seems to be cooler....and the middle is always the coolest. Any tips??

You can 'test' your thermometers (and hygrometers) and note the differences to avoid the above confusion..Here's what I did :

Tips on checking accuracy of thermometers and hygrometers:

The thing you want to do is check that any of thermometers and hygrometers are correct by testing them against a known criteria.
Comparing devices is useless unless you know how accurate any of them are.

I used a candy thermometer tested in boiling water and noted how far off 212 degrees it was...or whatever temp water boils at your altitude.
You can check your boiling temp at altitude here.
Then put the candy thermometer and 3 others in the incubator during the test run and compared them all, noting any differences.
I made a chart noting all temps and made notes about if this one reads this temp it is actually that temp.

Hygrometers can be tested by putting 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup water in a dish or jar and mixing it to a slurry.
Put the salt slurry jar and the hygrometer next to each other in a sealed plastic bag.
After 8-12 hours the hygrometer should read 75%...again note and differences and you're set.

 

[cmom]

I am a first time incubator and borrowed my friends LG with an egg turner and fan. I am on day 5. I have 3 reliable digital thermometers inside each is reading a different temp.....between 101 and 97. I have had to adjust the temp daily....if they all read below 99....or above 101. I have read through this thread roughly and can't seem to find the info I need as far as getting a more reliable temp throughout. I have been rotating the top because one side seems to be cooler....and the middle is always the coolest. Any tips??

The temperature fluctuation can also be influenced by where your incubator is located. If it is in a room with a door that people go inside to outside, close to a window, etc, can all affect the temperature and humidity. I keep my incubator in a room that has a double door so when I have to go in or out I open one door then close it and open the second door to go in or out. I know most people don't have that. some people use a closet. The more stable the room can be kept the more stable the temperature will be. The temperature fluctuation is ok. If the temperature runs a little low the chicks may hatch a day or two later and if it is a little high they can hatch a day or two earlier. I have a Hova-Bator that ranges from around 97ºF to around 101ºF. I keep my humidity around 35% during incubation and increase it the last 3 days during lockdown to around 75%. I have have excellent hatches.

Here are some chicks I hatched for a friend.