Started my first hatch 6/16, think I fried them already.

[Squishypuff]

... and I sure hope I don't kill all the eggs. I've never done this before. Have read a ton about the LG, and have had it on for the last few days getting temps right. I'll be hand turning, and no, I don't have the fan kit. I know it isn't ideal, but people seem to manage to get decent hatches so it's worth a try! I have 23 Silkie/Showgirl eggs in there that just went in a bit ago. One thing I am unsure of though... Should I leave it be tonight to heat back up (after taking a few mins to get the eggs in, they were rolling all over), and not turn them till tomorrow?

Boy am I nervous! I don't expect much- if I get one or two chicks I will be thrilled. Any tips? I'm trying the dry hatch thing, with 35-40% humidity for the beginning. Having some trouble fiddling with the humidity- should I take the red plugs out of the holes on top, or leave them closed?

Funny how researching like mad does next to nothing to make one feel prepared when it's actually starting!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Oh, how I know what you are going through! I also just got the LG and I am not liking it at all. I have been fooling with that thing for several days now trying to get my temps stabilized. I thought I had it for a while, but no dice. This is my first time incubating too. I am feeling very uneasy with this set up, and I do not foresee much of a positive outcome by continuing to use this thing. My eggs had already been sitting for 24 hours and I figured I better go ahead and get them in there.

I know a lot of people who use the LG say they like them, but from what I gather, even most of those who do had a devil of a time getting theirs to work right at first. I've seen where many have lost two or three batches of eggs before they ever got the thing to work right. My opinion is they are a pile of junk. I just don't understand someone making something so crude when there is no doubt the thing could be made much easier for a beginner to use. I think most people who get them just don't know any better and then end up making do because we are stuck with the darn things. But I've decided that tomorrow I am going to call the people who sell the Reptipro 5000 incubator and buy one of those. If I can get it here in a day or so I am going to get it set up and move my eggs into it. Then I'm returning my LG back to Tractor Supply for a refund. My eggs might be ruined already, but if I don't do something I fear they absolutely will be.

Squishypuff, I wish you a lot of luck with your LG. Maybe you will hit that magic spot with the dial and everything will work out. I also went with the dry hatch method. I wouldn't dare tell you what to do, but I've got my vents open so it can suck in moisture from the outside. While trying to get the temps right I've had the plugs in and out, but either way doesn't seem to help where getting the temperature to stay in one place is concerned. But with them out the humidity has been staying around 31 to 35%. I went with the dry hatch method because I've seen a lot of posts about people not getting a hatch due to their chicks drowning.

Well, I got to go. Instead of going to bed I have to run to the shop and check on my incubator. No doubt it is going to be too hot or too cold and I'll have to mess with it for who knows how long before I can get some sleep. I don't guess you can tell I utterly hate that thing?

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[Squishypuff]

I chose the LG because I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy hatching enough to buy a better one... I couldn't really justify buying a more expensive one. I ran this sucker for days to get the temp right, but then sometime between going to bed last night at 1:30am, to waking up this morning at 9:30am it went up to 104. Think I killed everything already?

I need to go get some of that shelf liner stuff, my eggs roll all over and it is rather hard to turn them without rolling them away. The temp also gos back to 85-90* during the turning...

 

[al6517]

You bought your new Bator under the premise of not knowing if you would like hatching or not, and that was a good way to approach it. But now that you did buy the famous egg killer incubator chances are you won't like hatching and may come to dislike it if you continue to use your current choice in an incubator. IMO this bator is a terrible choice for folks like your self who want to experiment with the thrills of hatching, so many folks get very discouraged when using the LG for the first time and think that all hatching is like that, or goes that way, untrue. I wish both of you the best of luck, nobody likes to fail because of something beyond your control. perhaps borrowing a real incubator from a friend for your next try will encourage you to try again and realy enjoy it. I don't own an LG but made my own and I realy like hatching.

 

[Squishypuff]

Yeah, after I'd bought it I did a search on it here, and saw how many people hate it. But I also saw lots of people who love them and have good hatches. I figured it was worth a try because I'm a stay at home mom- I have that time to fool with the thing a few times a day. I do wish I hadn't bought $27 eggs to start though! If this one fails miserably, I will probably look into the Hovabator everyone raves about.

 

[gypsygirl1421]

I am right there with you. I put mine in on wed afternoon (6/15). But mine are turkey eggs (there are a few quail eggs I put in yesterday). My bator is home-built. I am really nervous to cuz I waited forever for some royal palm eggs. I already had one temp spike that may have wiped them out but am keeping my fingers crossed cuz I do have a fan and the thermostat may have shut the light of in time. Keep us posted.

 

[zebserema]

i have only run mine one time before with a 75 percent fertile hatch rate

but i just plugged it in again like a week ago put my silkie eggs in there and after all those days of getting the temp set it went up to 106 ruined the eggs i dont like it very much i got it as a birthday gift i have had fairly good luck with it but not great i took out one of the plugs just so i could get the temp right but i candled the new eggs today and i got some progress real good

the good thing for me is though i have 8 hens and two roosters (one is a serema so he really doesnt do much)

but my other rooster a breed of star is very nice and gentle and i have a almost 100 percent fertility rate

i would reccomend for beggeners the hova incubator it is a good one just a little pricey

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Wise choice of action indeed. Just look for a real big trash can to throw it in, or better yet sell it to a disillusioned LG convert and make your $$ back.

 

[Squishypuff]

I went out and got the egg turner (I can use it in a better incubator later on, so it seemed worth it), I think that it will be easier to regulate the temp if I'm not opening it all the time to turn eggs. Anybody know if a few hours at 104 would have killed them all? Will I be just incubating dead chicks?

 

[LuvMyBLR]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hova-Bator-Mode...ultDomain_0&hash=item415adafa5e#ht_500wt_1156 This is what I have and it does an AMAZING job of keeping the temps! Right now my bator is at 99.9 and even with the crazy weather we've been having, it doesn't change much at all. Once I got it to the temp I liked, I didn't have to touch it again. And this one is going for a steal! If you don't get that, you could look at others. Just search "hova bator" on ebay and there are lots of warehouses doing it for cheap. Good luck!

as for the 104 temp, it's worth a try. Don't try to throw them out quite yet. Wait a few days (and put them in a better bator if you can) and candle to see if they made it. what day are you on?