Opinions on tbe Farm Innovators 4200 please

[ButchGood]

I know how that goes. I bought 6 turkey eggs that failed. It wasn't the incubators fault though. But Ive learned my lesson on buying eggs through Ebay.

 

[ButchGood]

Nice fuzzballs Loghousemom, It looks like I'll have a hatch-rate over 50%. I had one more chick hatch that came a bit to early. It still had some of the yolk sac and is very weak. It looks a little better this morning, but its got some dried up goop on its buttocks. Looks a little like poopy butt but its the remnants of the yolk and umbilical. I'm gonna see if I can clean him up with some warm water and a Q-tip after it rests some more and before it goes into the brooder. The remaining 4 eggs show no signs of life. I'm going to let them stay incubating until day 25. Then I'll investigate why they didn't hatch.

 

[Loghousemom]

Ya... I was pretty happy with it. I think it could have been better, but the teacher was using the thermometer and hygrometer on the incubator, without a cross reference one, plus having little kids running around it every day.... I used my mutt eggs from our farm, so free chicks basically, and I didn't have to put out anything.

NOW though, I am setting my shipped eggs a little later today. I have 2 thermometers that I am using. (The one on the incubator reads 91 when my two others read 99.5 and 100) Has anyone else had this problem on their FI incubators? I know it says for reference only onit... but with that big of a difference, I cannot see how it could even be for reference! Not only that, but the hygrometer reads 60% and the others read 35%. I think that both of those are too skewed to be considered applicable for reference sake!

 

[nanclapper]

I purchased a digital thermometer to put inside the bator for cross reference, but I'm having a hard time on placing the thermometer in the bator and still being able to read it. Also, the digital thermometer has an auto shutoff so I have to open the bator to press start. I'm thinking this is not very helpful. What brand digital thermoter/hygrometer are others using, where did you purchase and how are they working?

Thanks!,
Nancy

 

[Loghousemom]

I am using a digital from incubator warehouse. http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Therm...365974195&sr=1-1&keywords=Incubator+Warehouse. It is very small and also measures humidity.

But I also am using one that looks like a meat thermometer. (Not digital). My dad gave it to me. He said it came off a power plant thermocoupler or something like that. It is made to withstand high temps, and I have it calibrated. It seems to be about .5-.7 degrees off from the one I bought at amazon.

Like I said, I am surprised that the thermometer on the incubator is so far off.

 

[clayb226]

I use 2 in my bator, and neither are the built in ones. One is an indoor/outdoor with a remote sensor, and the other one is a mercury one. The digital remote one does not go to tenths, but the mercury one stay real close to 99.5, the remote one bounces between 99 and 100. Holds very steady temps, with the fan kit.

 

[Loghousemom]

Ya. Mine seems to hold fairly steady as well. I also use 2 thermometers. I had a 3rd one, but thought that might be overkill. Hahaha.

Eggs were set last night at midnight and temps came back up within the hour and holding steady. I guess now we wait!

 

[ol-jswartz]

If you buy one dont trust the thermometer or hygometer. I bought a new farm innovations forced air incubator using a good thermometer temp 98.5 to 100.5 degf on average and 50% RH by the little hygrometer that came with the incubator but I never checked it's accuracy (Rookie Mistake I Know). On day 14 I finally got my thermometer/hygrometer in the mail and checked it out and it is accurate. When I got it in the incubator I realized I had been running my humidity at 25% RH for 14 days. So I now have the humidity at 70% in an effort to help save this batch.
I WOULD GREATLY APPRICIATE ANY AND ALL ADVICE. Thanks folks!

 

[ButchGood]

It looks like I had 11 viable eggs. 3 have not hatched. That's not to bad. The next time I set eggs I'm getting a thermometer with high and low temperature alarms. If it gets to 101 alarms go off. Drops to 98 again, alarms go off. The FI 4200 was a serviceable unit. I'd set eggs in it again. As I learn the craft I think I'll build my own. I'll install a way to add and remove water without opening the incubator. I would also like to have built in gloves so I can handle things inside without opening it up. Just some thoughts.

 

[Loghousemom]

If you buy one dont trust the thermometer or hygometer. I bought a new farm innovations forced air incubator using a good thermometer temp 98.5 to 100.5 degf on average and 50% RH by the little hygrometer that came with the incubator but I never checked it's accuracy (Rookie Mistake I Know). On day 14 I finally got my thermometer/hygrometer in the mail and checked it out and it is accurate. When I got it in the incubator I realized I had been running my humidity at 25% RH for 14 days. So I now have the humidity at 70% in an effort to help save this batch.
I WOULD GREATLY APPRICIATE ANY AND ALL ADVICE. Thanks folks!

I think you might want to lower that humidity. I thought for a regular hatch you want to be At 50% for the first 18 days, (from the instruction book), and with a dry hatch you want to be 20-30%. Then 60-70% for hatch. Maybe someone who has a successful hatch can tell better...