Newbie - just got an incubator, have questions, HELP!

[RobinFarmGirl]

Hello Everyone,

I have looked thru the other threads in this section and don't see anything on this topic so here I go...

I have just purchased the Farm Innovators incubator Model 2200 w/circulated air and an automatic turner. I also bought a liner. I ran it today and it seemed to work fine by raising temp along with humidity at the suggested %. They included two loose thermometers and there is a thermometer on the lid of the incubator.

I put one of the loose thermometers inside as it heated up. It does not read the temp the same as the thermometer on the lid. It reached 99.5 F degrees faster. Should I go by the temp on the thermometer inside and when it reaches 99.5 F degrees, turn the heat dial down as instructed? (not going by the thermometer on the lid as it is slower at reaching 99.5...)

Also, I had a hard time regulating the heat - it got real hot then I turned down the heat dial and all this time, the two thermometers didn't match up exactly (the loose one and the one on the lid).

Sorry if I am rambling, as the questions are running thru my head and I hope I am not missing anything. I'm just nervous about my 1st incubation! I want to just push a button and everything work exactly right and then they hatch!

Thank you so much for reading this and giving me any advice!!!

Robin

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Don't rely on the lid reading, use a good thermometer to calibrate it. Once you know how far off it is you can use it as you know to add or subtract calibration for true reading. I use a medical thermometer to calibrate. Note that the air temperature fluctuates a few degrees as the heating element cycles on and off so take a reading at both ends of cycle to average.

When adjusting an incubator make small adjustments and wait for temperature to stabilize before making another adjustment. I take all day dialing in, wait few hours and make another adjustment wait few hours.

 

[RobinFarmGirl]

Thank you for replying! How do I calibrate a little thermometer that came with the incubator? I'm sorry if this sounds stupid; I've never done this before!

Thank you again!
Robin

 

[WalnutHill]

You don't calibrate the thermometer, you calibrate yourself.

Once you use a good quality thermometer to find the actual temperature reading at the correct temperature, mark the built-in thermometer's needle position without disturbing the lid. Don't do this until the incubator has been running for at least several hours, and best thing is to put a jar of water in there (if you have no eggs in it) and wait until that is up to temp also. Make sure the temperature remains stable.

 

[mcanada1779]

I have the same incubator. just ran 6 eggs and they all died. 3 made it to about 18 days ...one did the internal pip and died. the other 3 never pipped. I have no idea what happened. I have google our incubator and found out that the thermometer and the humitidy gage is way off. so I would suggest going and buying a good one and go by it. that is what I am going to do before I run my batch of 41 eggs.


does anyone know what could have happened to my babies. I have 3 live eggs until lock down. my intstructions said humitidy should be 85% so that is what I did. 99.5 and 80-85%. the baby that internally pipped did just what he was suppose to do. his lil beak and nostrils where sticking thru the air sac and he died that way.

 

[RobinFarmGirl]

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about that!!! I will have to do the calibration thing like WalnutHill suggested. I thought I did good research and never read anything about the temp & humidity gauge like you did mcanada1779. Are humidity guages sold as well? I think I've seen meat thermometers used in the holes that are already in the top of the incubator, would that work? I wished I didnt' have to buy more stuff!!!!

Thanks,
Robin

 

[WalnutHill]

Try dropping the temp on lockdown to 98 or very close to it. The combination of heat and humidity and the exertion of the little chick in trying to get out of the shell can be fatal. At the same time, high humidity and low temps can be fatal due to chilling once they hatch. So it's a pretty thin combination of temps and humidity for success in hatching.

I have a very vigorous hatch going right now at 79% RH and 98F. It's only one chick but it's going like gangbusters...very vocal, too. A few other hatches were not so successful at the recommended higher humidities, the chicks all seemed to lose energy right before hatch and died before or after internal pip. Those that did an external pip seemed to gasp very hard, and one that survived a 99F 85% hatch still has lingering respiratory issues a couple of weeks later.

Success and failure are all over the board, I am sure there are plenty of people on this forum who have hatched even without paying attention. But if your egg's air cells develop properly, if you just take out the incubator plugs and don't open it the last three days, you have a reasonable chance for success. I am sure there are as many opinions of "right" as there are people incubating eggs. This is only my own opinion.

 

[sdm111]

It Is my opinion when using styrofoam incubators do the dry incubation technique. Styrofoam incubators are notorious for having too high humidity during days 1-18 because the instructions say to fill the resovoirs. Which almost always leads to chicks that have grown too big to pip and zip the shell at hatch time. I have been incubating with 3 styrofoam incubators and one as a hatcher. I put no water in the incubators and half of the resovoirs full in the hatcher and have good results. A little low on humidity is way better than too high. Just my 2c.

 

[WalnutHill]

I agree that foam incubators USUALLY need less water added. However...in Michigan, with a forced air furnace, my ambient humidity is about 30% and in the incubator is 16% if I don't add water.

I think that if ambient humidity is 40-50% you will be fine without adding water, but watch the progress of the air cells to be sure.

 

[randerson846]

I have the same incubator. just ran 6 eggs and they all died. 3 made it to about 18 days ...one did the internal pip and died. the other 3 never pipped. I have no idea what happened. I have google our incubator and found out that the thermometer and the humitidy gage is way off. so I would suggest going and buying a good one and go by it. that is what I am going to do before I run my batch of 41 eggs.


does anyone know what could have happened to my babies. I have 3 live eggs until lock down. my intstructions said humitidy should be 85% so that is what I did. 99.5 and 80-85%. the baby that internally pipped did just what he was suppose to do. his lil beak and nostrils where sticking thru the air sac and he died that way.

The humidity was to high, it should be at highest 70 maybe 75, the temp was fine, the one that piped may have drowned of high humidity sorry to hear about them all dying