little giant incubator

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Well, that is very encouraging. I would hate to lose these. They are about day 4, so it looks like I might have time to fix the problem??

I realize now I should have stolen my setting hen's eggs for the test and put some of these turkeys under her as an insurance policy. At least I would know I would get a few to hatch. Now it is much more dicey.

At four days you can still switch out a few to hopefully get a few turkey eggs under the hen. But don't expect her to raise a split hatch, she gets all chicken or all turkey eggs since they run differing periods of time. If you give her turkeys take all the chicken eggs for the bator.

 

[tia]

It is interesting to see the different comments on the LG. I used one, and did not have much success, but some of it had to do with my lack of experience. I bought a new incubator, but if I was going to use my LG again I would make sure the temperature of the room it was set up in didn't fluctuate, I would set my incubator up a week before I got the eggs and make sure temp and humidity were where I wanted them, I would have a reliable thermometer and hygrometer. I'm not sure where you get them or how you test them, but I am sure there are some people on here that can help you out. I had several thermometers with different temperatures, so I didn't know which one to trust, and a hygrometer that was off. There is a lot of information out there. I would read as much as you can before you start. This is a great place to find help if you run into a problem. Hope you have a good hatch. : )

Tia

 

[dancingbear]

I no longer use the red plugs at all, ever. I leave them out for better air flow, and get better hatches, now.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
It's sitting right under the house thermostat, which I figured would have the most constant temperature in the house.

And I wish I could have set it up a week in advance, but I got the eggs and the bator at the same time, the eggs were already a few days old, and the clock was ticking.

Walkswithdog, that's a good idea about going ahead and switching out the eggs on the hen now. I guess my brain was stuck in the "you made a bad decision now live with it" mode.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Thanks for this advice! I noticed she was off the nest for food and water and switched them out a couple of days ago and she went and sat right on them. I only took out half the turkey eggs since I was able to stabelize the temp finally at just a tad over 100, and still want to try it out. I moved all the RIR eggs into the incubator, so she is only sitting on turkey eggs now.

So should I pull the poults out as soon as they are hatched? Will she harm them when she notices they aren't chickens? I read that happened to someone's silkie chick.

 

[algopurple]

I got an LG this week with the turner and set 29 eggs Friday night and 12 more the next night. I didn't know to add the water until after I was reading on here about it. I added a little on the bottom of the LG at the same time I added the last 12 eggs but I don't have a liner. Didn't even know I needed one.
I am wondering if I should take one of the eggs out. It is from a leggon and she is so small I am starting to think it is not fertile since the rooster is a big white rock. Anyone ever have a cross like that happen? I have never seen the rooster paying her any attention.

 

[chicksgalore]

I didn't have very good luck with my LG at first but I'm now on my 4th hatch this year and this is my third year with it and I think my LG and me have come to some terms. First, I think I was messing around with it too much. I've learned to for the most part KEEP MY HANDS OFF the thermostat. The only time I have to turn it one way or the other is if there is a major temp change outside which then carries into the house.

Also, as far as humidity goes...I had trouble keeping it steady when I just used the wells but for the last 2 hatches, I've laid rags down under my eggs and this makes it much easier to raise humidity. One word of warning though on this method, you need only add a very small drop at a time this way or your hum will spike.

Just stick with it. I know how frustrating it can be when hatches fail and I still have a long way to go on the learning end but thankfully, I've got a nice number of chicks from it this year so the trial and error (and frustration) has been worth it!

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Thanks for this advice! I noticed she was off the nest for food and water and switched them out a couple of days ago and she went and sat right on them. I only took out half the turkey eggs since I was able to stabelize the temp finally at just a tad over 100, and still want to try it out. I moved all the RIR eggs into the incubator, so she is only sitting on turkey eggs now.

So should I pull the poults out as soon as they are hatched? Will she harm them when she notices they aren't chickens? I read that happened to someone's silkie chick.

I don't have that problem here, my chickens hatch turkeys and my turkeys hatch chickens and don't care that their "children" are odd... I know people who's ducks hatch turkeys and chickens hatch ducks/keets and no problems.

 

[dancingbear]

If I want a hen to hatch both turkeys and chicks, I just put the turkey eggs under her first, wait a week, and add the chicken eggs. Then they hatch all at once. Likewise when mixing keets and chicks.

 

[walkswithdog]

Yup that also works....