New Incubator! A Couple Questions

[Sycamore27]

Hi all!
I just got an incubator secondhand, an LG still air, and I'm getting ready to order an egg turner.

Judging from pictures the Farm Innovators incubator is the same footprint inside the base as the LG, has anyone seen them in person or used both to confirm that? Someone had said since the LG is wider at the base than an Hovabator it's hard to get a LG egg turner in a Hovabator, or maybe it was the other way around... Anyway the point is I'd like to know if the FI turner will fit in my LG because I can get it and quail rails for at least $20 cheaper than an LG turner.

The other question is about turners and lockdown, when it's time for lockdown do you just unplug your turner and leave the eggs in it to hatch? Or do you take the eggs out and lay them on their sides in the bottom of the incubator itself? I never really saw this explained before.

Thanks!
Jessie

 

[James the Bald]

The other question is about turners and lockdown, when it's time for lockdown do you just unplug your turner and leave the eggs in it to hatch? Or do you take the eggs out and lay them on their sides in the bottom of the incubator itself? I never really saw this explained before.

Thanks!
Jessie

On lockdown, you have to remove the turner. What I do, is candle candle all of the eggs as quickly as possible, and place all of the eggs on a paper towel that I have laid out on the bottom of the incubator, tossing any egg that you can see through. While you have the incubator open, you can take the time to add some warm water to the resevoir to increase any humidity that was lost when you opened the incubator.

 

[Sycamore27]

Thanks James!

I just went ahead and ordered the FI turner, so I'll report back if it fits the LG incubator when it arrives.
Now to sterilize the LG and wait by the door for the mail...

Cheers,
Jessie

 

[Sycamore27]

I just realized the incubator has a fan added, pretty excited to have actually picked up a forced air for 25 bucks!

I sprayed it down with 10 to 1 diluted bleach, wiped it down again with bleach, and then sprayed the bottom again and plugged it in to vaporize the heated bleach water into the fan and such. I know this incubator was used for chickens last and it was rather grungy when I started cleaning, chick poo and egg yolk caked in the bottom, should I do anything else to sterilize it before I use it or should that be thorough enough?

Thanks!
Jessie

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Bleach only works as a disinfectant if the surface is clean. You'll need to clean the unit and then disinfect. Don't mix cleaners with bleach. I know this from 10 years breeding cats. Sorry I don't know what cleaner to use on your incubator. Perhaps the user manual, or one found online, will help.

 

[veggiecanner]

The bleach should do it.

 

[Sycamore27]

Thanks all, also guess I should have clarified- I bleached once to kinda keep from spreading anything on the surface, then washed everything, then wiped it with bleach, then sprayed bleach in the bottom and turned it on to circulate in the fan. I can still see stains but I think it's been bleached enough to take care of everything, and I know I can't scrub anything else off.

My new frustration is my thermometers and hygrometers. I have two functional analog dial hygrometers that read accurately, my brand new indoor/outdoor thermo/hygro reads 3% low and then my thermometers are all over the place. I put 7 thermometers in the incubator as close together as possible and none agreed with another. I ice water calibrated them and the only ones that read accurately were two meat thermometers. My LG incubation thermo was 2° high, and then I read I shouldn't have cold calibrated it anyway. I'm going to retry calibrating everything again, but if the only accurate ones I have are meat thermos should I just use that? Or take a chance that the inaccurate ones will be consistently inaccurate so I can just subtract or add?

I know I'm being a bit obsessive, I just want to know my equipment is right before I start anything.

Thanks!
Jessie