little giant incubator

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I used a LG for years with good success. The people that say you have to monitor them are correct. The biggest problem with a LG is that it needs to stay in an area that has little to no temp variation. Basements are best. The LG has done well for me in the past but this year I bought a Hovabator genesis 1588 and like not having to check temps. Now I use my LG as a hatcher. I bought an digital thermometer at wal mart that I could read without opening my incubator. It helped quite a bit. Also make small adjustments and wait at least 2 hours before adjusting again. Also I do not adjust temp in the 1st 2 days until eggs are up to temp unless temp is too high. I run the still air LG at 100 to 100.5 at egg height.

 

[cmom]

I agree with most of the other posts. I have an LG with a fan and egg turner. I have had many successful hatches in it. I also have a cabinet incubator in which I have been doing staggered hatched so I have been using the LG as a hatcher.

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
Hello, I have the egg turner, NOW, but know what you mean by having to turn those darn eggs, and a solution to your problem would be to put the eggs in your incubator in egg cartons, (with the pointy end of the egg pointing down), and then instead of opening the incubator, just put a brick under one side of the incubator, and it turns all the eggs at once, and to tilt them the other direction, take the brick out from under one side of the incubator, and put it under the other side of the incubator. Simple.

 

[jfulcher]

Quote:
Hello, I have the egg turner, NOW, but know what you mean by having to turn those darn eggs, and a solution to your problem would be to put the eggs in your incubator in egg cartons, (with the pointy end of the egg pointing down), and then instead of opening the incubator, just put a brick under one side of the incubator, and it turns all the eggs at once, and to tilt them the other direction, take the brick out from under one side of the incubator, and put it under the other side of the incubator. Simple.

Question quintinp, wouldn't that break quail eggs? I am getting a plethora of quail eggs in a few days and will need to turn them quickly.

 

[quintinp]

No. If you have the quail eggs in the shipping cartons that you got,.... from some of those recently shipped eggs of yours, then they wouldn't. I bet you could also use regular chicken egg cartons, and it wouldn't hurt them. I just bought some quail eggs, and they are in my fridge-bator, spent 30$ for 120 eggs. I hope I don't lose a lot of eggs. The temp has fluctuated from 97 to 104, I got it calmed down a bit though. It is no longer going up to 104 anymore.

 

[jessica117]

Quote:
Hello, I have the egg turner, NOW, but know what you mean by having to turn those darn eggs, and a solution to your problem would be to put the eggs in your incubator in egg cartons, (with the pointy end of the egg pointing down), and then instead of opening the incubator, just put a brick under one side of the incubator, and it turns all the eggs at once, and to tilt them the other direction, take the brick out from under one side of the incubator, and put it under the other side of the incubator. Simple.

This was written a LONG time ago... I have since started using cartons and a brick with much success. I only have to open it every 2-4 days to add water and it has greatly improved my hatch numbers. Thanks for the info though

 

[Arielle]

I've been wanting to put my eggs in cartons and turn by lifting one end of the LG BUT I was worried about the height of the coils. Does it work for chicken eggs? Does it work for turkey eggs?


edited for spelling

 

[PrestonSloan08]

I just had a 100% hatch with my LG still air!! And I didn't baby sit it!! I like them!!

 

[jessica117]

Quote:
I was a little worried about turkey eggs but we tried it this year, and out of 5 fertile eggs 4 hatched and are now gangly adolescents. I did put them in the center away from the coils.... I don't know if it is necessary, but since I had so few I put them in the middle with the chicken eggs around the edges. As for chicken eggs and cartons, I've always filled it full.

Hope this helps!

 

[Arielle]

Jessica , thanks for the tip on placement of the turkey eggs; the next go round I'll try putting the eggs in cartons and place the turkey eggs in the center area and let the chicken eggs be located under the coils. Thank should allow me to just tip the whole LG using a brick as suggested rather than opening the LG 3 or 5 times a day to roll the eggs.