Little Giant Incubator Tricks

[moetrout]

I have an LG with turner and pc fan. I mainly use the blub type thermometer that came with it. I also have a cheap digital thermomter in there too, but I find that flucuates a lot. The traditional bulb thermomter takes longer to show those flucuations so i don't notice them as much and therefore I do not find I have the urge to adjust things up and down as much either. I set the thermomter on top of the eggs and adjust it to meet the 99.5 degrees marked on the thermomter. I also don't pay that much attention to the humidity. I fill the wells when I set the eggs and then don't do anything else until lock down. At that time I added wet paper towels and made sure they stayed wet. My thinking is add the water at first just to have some humidity, but let that dry out so the air cells develop. This is the dry time. Then at lock down that is the humid time and I just try to keep those paper towels wet by adding water through the vent holes (usually warm water). Why? Well, I don't have decent hygrometer, but then again neither does a broody hen. I also feel one of the keys to a good hatch is too keeps your mitts of the temp control knob. When I incubated during the easter hatch it was colder so I put my incubator upstairs where it was usually warmer. I set eggs last night, but this time around my incubator is in the basement where it is a cool consistent temp. Don't over think it, don't meddle with it, and happy hatching!

 

[cmom]

Is your fan blowing down on the eggs or up to the lid? I put my PC fan blowing up in my LG and I have checked my temp various places in the incubator and the temp ranges from 98.8 to 100.2. I just hatched 31 chicks out of 32 eggs. The last chick had pipped but expired before hatching. Also I use the plugs to help in the adjustment of the temperature and humidity by taking one or both out or leaving them in.

 

[cmom]

Still air temp should be around 101 degrees.

Is this on the floor?

At the top of the eggs.

 

[Arielle]

Is your fan blowing down on the eggs or up to the lid? I put my PC fan blowing up in my LG and I have checked my temp various places in the incubator and the temp ranges from 98.8 to 100.2. I just hatched 31 chicks out of 32 eggs. The last chick had pipped but expired before hatching. Also I use the plugs to help in the adjustment of the temperature and humidity by taking one or both out or leaving them in.

Fan is drawing UP. ANd located over a red plug. Both plugs are open. I also use the plugs for small alterations.

When you check the areas around the incubator are you checking at various levels or only on one level? My floor measures 98 and top of eggs is 103. I even swapped the two thermometers to double check.

 

[cmom]

My LG incubator with the PC fan in it, the temp runs about the same as yours. My other LG, the air goes out the sides of the fan and the temp in that incubator is more steady and reads around 99 degrees near the bottom and a little over 100 degrees towards the top. The supplier that carried the LG fan at a reasonable cost has them but at a much higher cost now but can occasionally get them at the reduced cost but it may take months to get one. I think the LG fan blowing out the sides, circulates the air better and the temp is steadier.

 

[Arielle]

My LG incubator with the PC fan in it, the temp runs about the same as yours. My other LG, the air goes out the sides of the fan and the temp in that incubator is more steady and reads around 99 degrees near the bottom and a little over 100 degrees towards the top. The supplier that carried the LG fan at a reasonable cost has them but at a much higher cost now but can occasionally get them at the reduced cost but it may take months to get one. I think the LG fan blowing out the sides, circulates the air better and the temp is steadier.

THe design of the fan WOULD make a big difference. I used the PC fan because of the huge expense of ordering the LG fan.

When the incubator was just that and not a hatcher, I would let the fan hang by two corners and the temperatures were much more uniform. I would need to glue a screen on the output side to make it safe for chicks. Until then maybe any tilt will be helpful.

Thanks for the input CMOM, it helps knowing my set up is normal or at least running within normal specs.

 

[moetrout]

My fan is a pc fan and it is mounted under one of the bigger vent holes (the ones where the plugs go) and is blowing up. I have never checked the temp at various spots in my incubator. Mainly because that means opening it up. I am on day 2 of my second hatch. The temp has been rock steady at 99.5 degrees on top of the eggs according to the LG bulb thermomter.

 

[Arielle]

My fan is a pc fan and it is mounted under one of the bigger vent holes (the ones where the plugs go) and is blowing up. I have never checked the temp at various spots in my incubator. Mainly because that means opening it up. I am on day 2 of my second hatch. The temp has been rock steady at 99.5 degrees on top of the eggs according to the LG bulb thermomter.

I open my LG to hand turn, so I am in and out as needed like a mother hen. lol

With several thermometers I can read the temps in diferent locations at the same time under the same conditions. That's how I noticed different areas have diferent temps. And different layers also vary: high ( top of egg) then 1''high and floor have different temps all in spite of a fan.

How was your hatch rate in you first batch? Was it complete by day 21?

 

[roadrunner0]

Take a look at the way I mounted mine in the picture in my post a page or two back.. I used a very small fan and mounted it in a triangle of aluminum sheet flashing.. You never want the air to blow directly on the eggs and my rig draws the air up and gently forces it along the top and across the heating elements.. The air flow is to prevent hot and cold spots in the incubator but when the embryos start to grow sometimes you can see the temperature on top of the eggs rise 1 degree..
My broody hen just hatched out 2 more peeps this morning and we are keeping our fingers crossed for more.. still another 8 to 10 eggs due today and some of the girls keep adding mystery eggs from time to time..In the real world the nest temperature for this hen has varied all over the place and I think we worry about it too much but hatch and survival rates are low1 in 10.. Seems it can get cool once in a while but if they get too hot this is bad..

 

[Arielle]

Take a look at the way I mounted mine in the picture in my post a page or two back.. I used a very small fan and mounted it in a triangle of aluminum sheet flashing.. You never want the air to blow directly on the eggs and my rig draws the air up and gently forces it along the top and across the heating elements.. The air flow is to prevent hot and cold spots in the incubator but when the embryos start to grow sometimes you can see the temperature on top of the eggs rise 1 degree..
My broody hen just hatched out 2 more peeps this morning and we are keeping our fingers crossed for more.. still another 8 to 10 eggs due today and some of the girls keep adding mystery eggs from time to time..In the real world the nest temperature for this hen has varied all over the place and I think we worry about it too much but hatch and survival rates are low1 in 10.. Seems it can get cool once in a while but if they get too hot this is bad..

I took another look at the photo -- how do you keep chicks out of the blades or is it self contained?