little giant incubator

[bobzant]

hi, i have a little giant still air incubator with an egg turner in it. what do i do for humidity or do i need to add anything at all, and if i do, when? thanks

 

[Chicken Chat]

Hi bobzant, I would highly recommend reading the dry incubation method found in the learning center, under the "how to" pages. I found out about this a few years ago and it really helped me get my hatch rates up to 99-100%. I started out with the little giant foam bators as well. Good luck on your hatch!

 

[bobzant]

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thank you very much

 

[JohnsonHomestead]

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I completely agree, read about the Dry Incubation method.
My eggs are finishing up today(First Time) , I have the LG, with fan and turner. I would suggest getting a hydrometer(the thing that tells humidity,lol) I pick up a combo thermometer/Hydrometer at wally would, about $12. I put it and the thermometers that came with bator and turner in moved them around when I candled. Out of the 41 eggs I started, by day 18 I was down to 35, of the 6 eggs I lost 4 were infertile, two blood ringed first 7 days. Not blaming incubator for that.

Piece of advice, place the incubator in a room that is not going to go over 80 degrees, because it tends to climb, had an AC issue and temp went to 104 on me. That is what I blame for losses after day 18. Also I noticed when chicks start pipping and zipping the humidity will go up fast as well, at one point I had chicks popping out like pop corn and humidity went as high as 90% with plugs pull, that was from what had been constant 65%. I had some trouble keeping humidity above 50% first 18 days but we have been having outdoor humidity as low as 25-30%, at lock down I place 2 chunks of sponge and that did wonders keeping humidity at my target of 65%.
As of right now, I have 31 happy chirping little fluff balls.

Good luck and hope you have as much fun as I have the last 21 days. Looks like I can have the fun of christmas every 21-22 days now if I wanted.