still air incubator temp/humidity spikes

[Dogolady]

I have a still air LG digital thermostat incubator and every time a chick hatches in there, if i don't remove it right away the temp will spike to almost 110 and humidity to 85+. Everything i read says to leave chicks in there for 24-36 hrs but i have not been able to do so with any of my hatches without the temp skyrocketing. Is there any way around this? Or do you just have to remove the chicks as soon as they hatch in this bator? (In case it wasnt totally obvious i am new to this LOL!)

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have a still air LG digital thermostat incubator and every time a chick hatches in there, if i don't remove it right away the temp will spike to almost 110 and humidity to 85+. Everything i read says to leave chicks in there for 24-36 hrs but i have not been able to do so with any of my hatches without the temp skyrocketing. Is there any way around this? Or do you just have to remove the chicks as soon as they hatch in this bator? (In case it wasnt totally obvious i am new to this LOL!)

First off, if you don't have your own thermometer and hygrometer that is checked and accurate, you need one. The displays for the LG are known to be way off too begin with. Did your hatch start hatching on time?

With that being said, when to remove chicks is a personal decision. Many do leave them in the bator until fluffy, others until the hatch is over, then there are those of us who remove them as they hatch. As long as you have a brooder with one end heated to 95-100F, and draft free, I would do what you are doing to finish this hatch and then I would get yourself a couple thermometers and a hygrometer check them for accuracy and then check them against the incubator.

The LG 9300 and 10300 has a sensor that hangs down and if that sensor is being tossed about or moved from the hatchlings, that can throw off the thermostat and cause heat spikes too. So it may be a matter of stabilizing that as well.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

As for the humidity, that will spike when they hatch, and is not an issue. I run my hatches at 75% and often they shoot 85-90% when I have multiple hatchers hatching at once. But because I open my bator during hatch, it doesn't stay that high for long periods.

 

[Dogolady]

Yes i have a regular thermometer in the bator also and the temp spikes are bad. Plus the chick in there last night was screaming and then very weak when i pulled him out. Had been doing well before that. So do you just pull each one out quickly as they hatch?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes i have a regular thermometer in the bator also and the temp spikes are bad. Plus the chick in there last night was screaming and then very weak when i pulled him out. Had been doing well before that. So do you just pull each one out quickly as they hatch?

I pull them out once they are up and moving around the bator. They go right into the brooder under the light.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Yes i have a regular thermometer in the bator also and the temp spikes are bad. Plus the chick in there last night was screaming and then very weak when i pulled him out. Had been doing well before that. So do you just pull each one out quickly as they hatch?

Weird!! I can not figure out how a egg hatching can cause a temp spike----for sure 10 degree's is crazy. Hmmm, I just hatched 233 in one incubator and temp stayed dead on----of course I have hatched 1000's and have never had a temp spike of more than a degree even in my Styrofoam incubators----so I do not know what is happening in yours. I am one of those that preach---leave that incubator closed till the hatch is over----opening a incubator here affects the hatch % big time. My chicks are all removed from the incubator on day 22 ---all at the same time and I have real high hatch rates---even 100% at times.

Now with your incubator----thats your call--to remove or not------its not unusual for a single chick to churp loudly till it gets company----the 110 degree spike---I would have to see in person to try and figure out whats happening.

Question----did you tweek the thermostat in the last couple days? Do you tweek it when it spikes to 110?

 

[Dogolady]

I dont change the thermostat since the heater is not running when this happens. I try to increase airflow thru vents but eventually have to open the bator to get it down and get the chick(s) out. Three hatches in a row, 2 different styrofoam still air incubators, same exact problem each time. If i leave the chicks in they get weak and dehydrate and die from the temp spikes. Plus we dont get good hatch rate on the remaining eggs either. But so many ppl say not to open it so i was trying to follow that advice.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I dont change the thermostat since the heater is not running when this happens. I try to increase airflow thru vents but eventually have to open the bator to get it down and get the chick(s) out. Three hatches in a row, 2 different styrofoam still air incubators, same exact problem each time. If i leave the chicks in they get weak and dehydrate and die from the temp spikes. Plus we dont get good hatch rate on the remaining eggs either. But so many ppl say not to open it so i was trying to follow that advice.

You got something weird going on----wish I had your incubator for 3 weeks---to try and figure it out.

I never open my incubators till after the eggs hatch---either.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I dont change the thermostat since the heater is not running when this happens.

I re-read this am I am scratching my head----you are saying the temp spikes up to 110 and the heater is not running when that happens---How does it climb 10 degree's and the heat not running?? I am really wondering about this?

 

[Dogolady]

Right. The temp is stable for 3 wks never changing more than half a degree. The first hatch i had 8 or 9 all hatch pretty close to the same time. Left them in there as advised to do. Came back to check if any more had hatched and was horrified to find temp was over 108. Both vents are open. Heater not running. I turned a fan on To circulate more cool air into the bator but couldnt bring temp down to anything below 104. Finally just grabbed all the chicks out and temp stabilized after opening bator. Same thing happened on the next hatch. Only 3 chicks i thought maybe the spike was due to so many chicks so tried again to leave them in. Once again 105 temp after short time. Next hatch only 1 chick. Middle of the night started screaming temp was 108.1. The third attempt was with a brand new incubator (same model). 3 weeks calibrated stable before hatch. Spoke to someone with a LOT of experience with incubating who told me that is common with small still air styro bators because the chicks give off body heat and there isnt a lot of circulation of the air. He uses all cabinet incubators/hatchers now. I figured someone must have a good way of dealing with this if it is common?