The Great LG Project!

[texaschickmom]

Baralak, do you have any of the water channels filled in the LG? I will be setting some of my own eggs Wednesday and have my LG cranked up and trying to get everything just right before then. Any help is SO welcome!!

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
I am pretty much keeping my outer ones full and that seems to do the trick - humidity is not an issue i have had at all with my LG bator - knock on wood! LOL
I am finding that when minor adjustments are needed that if i grasp the "knob" at the base right against the bator i get less up and down fluctuation - i know many use clamps -same concept i suppose

 

[karmlacres]

I should be setting eggs Thursday or Friday. My first hatch didn't go so well with my still air LG. I had collected eggs from my own hen. Yes, that's singular. So, one a day for 6 day I collected eggs. I think my first mistake was holding the eggs in the house. I think it may have been too warm for proper egg storage. Of course, one egg was filthy (forgot to clean it up before setting it - too excited!) and 2 had small cracks. Went ahead and put them in to see what would happen. I had no real expectations for them. In the end, and letting them go to 25 or 26 days, I only had one chicky in the eggs. All others never formed - hence my belief that I didn't practice proper egg storage prior to setting them.

As for the LG, the first one blew up the instant we plugged it in. No problem, went and got another and with baited breath, we plugged it in. No problem there. Took some fiddling but we got the temp set. It seemed to hold well. The only fluctuation I saw was a result of turning the eggs. I had no way to test for humidity. I just kept the reservoirs full. I can't remember now if it was during lockdown or just prior to, the bator was unplugged. Temps dropped to 70. That may have been when my one chicky died.

The lady I got my chicks from used the LG and seemed to be having great success with it - that's how my two chicks were hatched. Possibly even my 2 ducks. Not positive on them - momma duck may have hatched them. But anyways, I figured if the "cheap TSC bator" worked for her, I didn't need more expense in something else.

The changes for this hatch - we dismantled the kids computer (don't worry, it wasn't working anyways) and removed a fan. DH has it rigged up to a 9v and a switch to turn the fan on/off. I'm a bit worried the battery will die on me. We do have another on standby but it will be a process to swap them out.

I think I'll keep a towel nearby for when I turn to try to warm the box back up more quickly, although I don't really believe that was my problem during the last hatch.

I'm hoping to get out to Walmart and find a non-China-made hygrometer to help monitor the humidity.

In the meantime, my Cayuga duck started laying eggs. I think I'm going to let her keep them. She has 4 at present plus two chick eggs buried in the nest box. I think I will let her hatch them since she seems happy enough to care for them. My hen doesn't seem to have much interest in sitting on her eggs. But I don't know, I've really never given her the chance. Perhaps I will when I get the birds moved to their new digs on the farm. We'll see. I'll be watching this thread!

Lastly, I couldn't thank the BYC members enough for their help during my first hatch. I was told that I should have had my temps at 100.5-101 with the still air. Lesson learned. And something I'll keep in mind if my fan goes out. <crossing fingers it doesn't - certainly not during lockdown!>

 

[texaschickmom]

Quote:
I am pretty much keeping my outer ones full and that seems to do the trick - humidity is not an issue i have had at all with my LG bator - knock on wood! LOL
I am finding that when minor adjustments are needed that if i grasp the "knob" at the base right against the bator i get less up and down fluctuation - i know many use clamps -same concept i suppose

Thanks for the info on the water channels. I've got my LG up and running and plan on setting some of my own eggs tomorrow morning. This will be my first time incubating so I'll probably be asking you lots of questions.
I have 1 side channel filled and used a sponge to bump my humidity up to 35% or so. I'm going to try to keep my humidity between 30 - 40% until lockdown, then between 60 - 70%. My temp is holding pretty good for now.
I guess you turn the incubator off while loading with eggs, right? Or should I take the turner out, load it with eggs and then put it back in?
Thanks for the help!

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
I am pretty much keeping my outer ones full and that seems to do the trick - humidity is not an issue i have had at all with my LG bator - knock on wood! LOL
I am finding that when minor adjustments are needed that if i grasp the "knob" at the base right against the bator i get less up and down fluctuation - i know many use clamps -same concept i suppose

Thanks for the info on the water channels. I've got my LG up and running and plan on setting some of my own eggs tomorrow morning. This will be my first time incubating so I'll probably be asking you lots of questions.
I have 1 side channel filled and used a sponge to bump my humidity up to 35% or so. I'm going to try to keep my humidity between 30 - 40% until lockdown, then between 60 - 70%. My temp is holding pretty good for now.
I guess you turn the incubator off while loading with eggs, right? Or should I take the turner out, load it with eggs and then put it back in?
Thanks for the help!

NO! Once you get your temps set good - dont turn off cause you will have to start all over adjusting the temp - LOL trust me on this one!

 

[texaschickmom]

Sounds like you speak from experience, Inkheart! OK, I won't turn it off. So I guess just take the turner out, load her up and put back in, right? Do you have much experience with an LG?

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
I am gonna be totally honest - i have about 9 days worth of experience with it AND incubating! LOL trial and error and i ran the bator for a several days before i had the eggs to try it -

 

[texaschickmom]

Quote:
I am gonna be totally honest - i have about 9 days worth of experience with it AND incubating! LOL trial and error and i ran the bator for a several days before i had the eggs to try it -

HAHA! Thanks for your honesty! I've had my bator running since yesterday morning. I have found that when I add a small amount of warm water to keep the humidity up, that my temp falls just slightly. I guess that's normal. Have you noticed that in your "9 days" of experience? Do you have a turner and is yours still air or fan? Thanks..

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
I am gonna be totally honest - i have about 9 days worth of experience with it AND incubating! LOL trial and error and i ran the bator for a several days before i had the eggs to try it -

HAHA! Thanks for your honesty! I've had my bator running since yesterday morning. I have found that when I add a small amount of warm water to keep the humidity up, that my temp falls just slightly. I guess that's normal. Have you noticed that in your "9 days" of experience? Do you have a turner and is yours still air or fan? Thanks..

I am "au natural" was a gift from a well meaning friend - still air and no turners! I only add room temp water and it doesnt seem to affect the temp at all really. i have not touched the knob in many days as it is too tought to get back to a solid temp - when i see it dropping a touch i put a piece of fleece on the top a little and it gets it back up - in a pretty temp stable room tho

 

[texaschickmom]

How many eggs are you incubating? And what kind? I noticed in your "signature" that you have Delawares. I have some Delaware chicks coming in April from Cackle Hatchery. Do you like yours?
I'm incubating some RIR and some RIR X Barred Rock eggs. Anyway, I will be starting them tomorrow morning, like I said.