Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[cmom]

I agree about the room temperature. The steadier the room temperature the incubator will be steadier too. If you are having issues with the temp you could put it in a closet and I have also put a blanket or towel over mine. This picture was taken when we had lost power and I was about 2 weeks into incubation. I had the incubator on a DC power supply and inverter. The temperature in the incubator had got down to 78ºF when I discovered it. I hooked it up to the battery pack and inverter and got the temp back up. I was surprised and still had a very good hatch.

 

[Peep_Show]

In agreement about seasons: Hatching in summer, it is far easier to maintain temps than in winter with an LG.

 

[elliottfam11]

Ok so I've read about 10 pages so far and there is a lot of good stuff so thanks. Here's my problem. I've tried hatching since November 2014. I've had a couple call ducks hatch but not make it but out of about 40 eggs, give or take for shipping and not fertile, I have nothing to show for it. I have the new LG 9300 with turner still air at first but recently added the LG fan. Of course there is still 3 or 4 different areas with different temps. So I found in the middle right under the heat element was where I could put them and stick the thermometer with the plastic backing on top of the eggs and at first I think it worked. I have a digital thermo with hygro sensors, a long probe digital thermo and a analog one at first. All showing different readings where I had them. I keep the sensor for the digital thermo/hygro between eggs under the bators thermometer and when calibrated it showed to be 1.4 degrees higher than supposed to be. So I adjusted and monitored. But it's been fluctuating quite often this last week and not for sure if accurate anymore. So I finally found a Mercury thermometer, almost impossible,and have it sitting now on top of the plastic of thermometer for bator. I'm currently hatching old English chicks. Started out with 12. Day 5 I had 7 growing good but one was iffy. Today day 12 I wanted to check cause yesterday before I got the mercury thermo the readings were wonky. I'm now down to 3. Im not quite sure what the hell is going on! The humidity is a *****, I also calibrated them and at the beginning the first week u think it was ok but now idk. Most of u said u fill the channels full with water during incubation. When I just fill 1 or 2 in the middle my humidity jumps up to 65 sometimes and stays ther for at least 24 hrs before it goes to 55-60. Early I tried a little less and the dang thing jumped up there again where it has been 65 since 12 hours ago. I'm thinking they had 2 much humidity but the air sacs of these 3 look decent. But the temp fluctuates ALOT. Especially when the humidity drops to 15 percent it jumps 1-2 degrees. I live high elevation 6600 ft and it's super dry here. I don't know what I'm doing so wrong that I keep killing them. I accept I'm gonna lose some due to shipping and non fertile and nature but this is crazy. I've even done really good about not opening the lid at all except those 2 times to candle and a window to add water. I've placed a baby blanket over the bator like I read one person using a towel to help with drafts. I have it in a pretty stable room that no one goes in and out of but it's been cold and warm a lot and I think it's not helping. Any advice?

 

[cmom]

Ok so I've read about 10 pages so far and there is a lot of good stuff so thanks. Here's my problem. I've tried hatching since November 2014. I've had a couple call ducks hatch but not make it but out of about 40 eggs, give or take for shipping and not fertile, I have nothing to show for it. I have the new LG 9300 with turner still air at first but recently added the LG fan. Of course there is still 3 or 4 different areas with different temps. So I found in the middle right under the heat element was where I could put them and stick the thermometer with the plastic backing on top of the eggs and at first I think it worked. I have a digital thermo with hygro sensors, a long probe digital thermo and a analog one at first. All showing different readings where I had them. I keep the sensor for the digital thermo/hygro between eggs under the bators thermometer and when calibrated it showed to be 1.4 degrees higher than supposed to be. So I adjusted and monitored. But it's been fluctuating quite often this last week and not for sure if accurate anymore. So I finally found a Mercury thermometer, almost impossible,and have it sitting now on top of the plastic of thermometer for bator. I'm currently hatching old English chicks. Started out with 12. Day 5 I had 7 growing good but one was iffy. Today day 12 I wanted to check cause yesterday before I got the mercury thermo the readings were wonky. I'm now down to 3. Im not quite sure what the hell is going on! The humidity is a *****, I also calibrated them and at the beginning the first week u think it was ok but now idk. Most of u said u fill the channels full with water during incubation. When I just fill 1 or 2 in the middle my humidity jumps up to 65 sometimes and stays ther for at least 24 hrs before it goes to 55-60. Early I tried a little less and the dang thing jumped up there again where it has been 65 since 12 hours ago. I'm thinking they had 2 much humidity but the air sacs of these 3 look decent. But the temp fluctuates ALOT. Especially when the humidity drops to 15 percent it jumps 1-2 degrees. I live high elevation 6600 ft and it's super dry here. I don't know what I'm doing so wrong that I keep killing them. I accept I'm gonna lose some due to shipping and non fertile and nature but this is crazy. I've even done really good about not opening the lid at all except those 2 times to candle and a window to add water. I've placed a baby blanket over the bator like I read one person using a towel to help with drafts. I have it in a pretty stable room that no one goes in and out of but it's been cold and warm a lot and I think it's not helping. Any advice?

Try incubating with no water. If water is condensing inside the air sacs you won't be able to see it when you candle. I have better luck with low humidity than higher humidity. Instead of putting water in the bottom put a sponge in one corner.

When I need to add water when I need to bring the humidity up during lockdown.


I put a sponge under the holes and use the wash bottle to squirt water onto the sponge during incubation. I do dry incubate so my humidity is usually around 35% during incubation.


This is my home made hatcher. I have incubated in it too. There is a hole above the sponge for me to squirt into. Also you can regulate the humidity and temperature with the holes by taking one or both red plugs out. Whenever you adjust the humidity or temperature the humidity and temperature will be affected. The temperature doesn't have to be spot on. If it fluctuates that is OK. A broody gets off of her eggs at least once a day for several minutes to eat, drink and poop. The eggs will cool a bit but when she gets back on the nest they heat right back up. It takes quite a long while for the internal temperature of an egg to drop significantly. Good luck and have fun. Happy hatching.


I hatched these chicks out for a friend.

 

[elliottfam11]

Ok. Fair enough but it's so dry here that if I don't add anything then the humidity is like 5-10%. I'll try the sponge instead of the channels to see if that helps. I really think it has to be the temp killing them though. I think it goes too high, even tho the thermostat is set to cut off at 99.5. Why else would I b losing so many?

 

[cmom]

Ok. Fair enough but it's so dry here that if I don't add anything then the humidity is like 5-10%. I'll try the sponge instead of the channels to see if that helps. I really think it has to be the temp killing them though. I think it goes too high, even tho the thermostat is set to cut off at 99.5. Why else would I b losing so many?

I really don't know what to say except that usually the main reason they die is because of too high humidity. I have had the worst hatches when the humidity is above 50% and the best hatches around 35%. What is the temperature been? I usually keep my incubator around 100ºF. You are correct temperature can kill the chicks too, but it has to be pretty hot. I have had my incubator go to 115 and thought I had cooked the eggs but immediately turned down the temperature when I discovered it and don't think it was that high for a very long period. I candled some eggs and saw movement. I did have a very good hatch. The chicks actually started hatching a couple of days early. I have had my humidity down around 20% and lower but I try to keep it around 35%.

 

[Arielle]

Ok so I've read about 10 pages so far and there is a lot of good stuff so thanks. Here's my problem. I've tried hatching since November 2014. I've had a couple call ducks hatch but not make it but out of about 40 eggs, give or take for shipping and not fertile, I have nothing to show for it. I have the new LG 9300 with turner still air at first but recently added the LG fan. Of course there is still 3 or 4 different areas with different temps. So I found in the middle right under the heat element was where I could put them and stick the thermometer with the plastic backing on top of the eggs and at first I think it worked. I have a digital thermo with hygro sensors, a long probe digital thermo and a analog one at first. All showing different readings where I had them. I keep the sensor for the digital thermo/hygro between eggs under the bators thermometer and when calibrated it showed to be 1.4 degrees higher than supposed to be. So I adjusted and monitored. But it's been fluctuating quite often this last week and not for sure if accurate anymore. So I finally found a Mercury thermometer, almost impossible,and have it sitting now on top of the plastic of thermometer for bator. I'm currently hatching old English chicks. Started out with 12. Day 5 I had 7 growing good but one was iffy. Today day 12 I wanted to check cause yesterday before I got the mercury thermo the readings were wonky. I'm now down to 3. Im not quite sure what the hell is going on! The humidity is a *****, I also calibrated them and at the beginning the first week u think it was ok but now idk. Most of u said u fill the channels full with water during incubation. When I just fill 1 or 2 in the middle my humidity jumps up to 65 sometimes and stays ther for at least 24 hrs before it goes to 55-60. Early I tried a little less and the dang thing jumped up there again where it has been 65 since 12 hours ago. I'm thinking they had 2 much humidity but the air sacs of these 3 look decent. But the temp fluctuates ALOT. Especially when the humidity drops to 15 percent it jumps 1-2 degrees. I live high elevation 6600 ft and it's super dry here. I don't know what I'm doing so wrong that I keep killing them. I accept I'm gonna lose some due to shipping and non fertile and nature but this is crazy. I've even done really good about not opening the lid at all except those 2 times to candle and a window to add water. I've placed a baby blanket over the bator like I read one person using a towel to help with drafts. I have it in a pretty stable room that no one goes in and out of but it's been cold and warm a lot and I think it's not helping. Any advice?

The low hatching rate could also be due to how the duck eggs are handled during incubation. Yinepu is a long time hatcher and can hatch anything. She has a page on hatching ducks that you might find helpful. I'll see if I can find it and post a link for you.

Yinpu isn't on anymore . . .but this is a great article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs

 

[AmericanMom]

Ok. Fair enough but it's so dry here that if I don't add anything then the humidity is like 5-10%. I'll try the sponge instead of the channels to see if that helps. I really think it has to be the temp killing them though. I think it goes too high, even tho the thermostat is set to cut off at 99.5. Why else would I b losing so many?

I have my incubator in a spare room. I have a space heater set to 78 in that room as the only source of heat we have is our wood stove and that's not a constant heat source. I have found since I placed a sign on the door everyone is much more aware of keeping the door closed, My temperatures have been a lot more steady this go around!

 

[Arielle]

I have always tracked the devleopment of the air cell by candling. ANd then adjust moisture levels to keep it enlarging on schedule. Now that I have a scale, I will try that method. IMO this should be the driving force behind what the humidity in the incubator should be. Many factors effect the drying: fan in the incubator, water in hte incubator, ambient humidity, too. I kept a lot of readings until I fully understood the impact of each.

The egg is the final test.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Has anyone had a problem with their little giant's lid not seating properly after 2 years?