tips and secrets of the GQF 1502 sportsman...

[mark steele]

if you want you humidity to stay 55-60 only open the middle holes in back of incubator enough for your finger to fit in it the hole should never be wide open this is how mine is and if i put 100 eggs in the bottom to hatch i hatch 90 to 95 of the eggs i hope this helps

 

[cmom]

if you want you humidity to stay 55-60 only open the middle holes in back of incubator enough for your finger to fit in it the hole should never be wide open this is how mine is and if i put 100 eggs in the bottom to hatch i hatch 90 to 95 of the eggs i hope this helps

i also control my humidity by using the vents in the back of my incubator. Mine is an older one I have had for many years but it works great.

 

[mark steele]

yea i got the same bator ive had it ten years and hatch about 95% out of it

 

[Bowslayer2]

I have an older incubator and a matching Brooder. My incubator, I can get to stay pretty consistent temperature on the top two racks but the bottom rack is about a degree or a little more colder. However, my BRooder I can't seem to get to be consistent at all on any of the racks. This seems puzzling as it is the same as my incubator which I can at least get consistent on the top two racks. It is set up the same as the incubator and the fan seems to be working fine. The vent holes are the same on each. Does anyone have any suggestions I must be overlooking something simple?

 

[cmom]

I have an older incubator and a matching Brooder. My incubator, I can get to stay pretty consistent temperature on the top two racks but the bottom rack is about a degree or a little more colder. However, my BRooder I can't seem to get to be consistent at all on any of the racks. This seems puzzling as it is the same as my incubator which I can at least get consistent on the top two racks. It is set up the same as the incubator and the fan seems to be working fine. The vent holes are the same on each. Does anyone have any suggestions I must be overlooking something simple?

At first I hatched in my incubator but now I use my styrofoam incubators as hatchers. I had two cabinets and used one as a hatcher but ended up selling it. My temperature is a little lower too at the bottom. Those chicks hatch a little later from a few hours usually into the next day or two. Even though the temperature isn't spot on it is OK. A little warmer the chicks may hatch a little early and a little cooler they may hatch a little later.

 

[Chicadoodle]

HI All, we hatch 3 GQFS< two from the 80's one from the 90's, we love them!!! Have fantastic hatches including turkeys, geese, pheasants, quail and silkies. QUESTION! We hatch a lot, has anyone found a cheaper cut to fit or alternative for sponges or humidity pads? Thanks

 

[cmom]

HI All, we hatch 3 GQFS< two from the 80's one from the 90's, we love them!!! Have fantastic hatches including turkeys, geese, pheasants, quail and silkies. QUESTION! We hatch a lot, has anyone found a cheaper cut to fit or alternative for sponges or humidity pads? Thanks

Large sponge. Works great.

 

[Bowslayer2]

I posted this question earlier in the thread and have been playing around with the brooder quite a bit since then. As stated above I have an incubator that is identical to my Brooder except for the incubator has automatic turners. I can get the incubator to be consistent with in half a degree on the top two racks and a degree lower on the third bottom rack but I cannot get the Brooder consistent on any of the racks. It varies by about a degree and a half to two degrees no matter where I put it. I have set the brooder up exactly like the incubator and still it varies by two degrees in temperature. I have played around with the air vents in the back of the Brooder but no matter what I try I can't get it to stay consistent in temperature between the racks. I have moved the thermostat everywhere in the brooder including right by the heater with no luck. However, it is very consistent at having an inconsistent temperature by a degree and a half to two degrees between the three shelves no matter where I put the thermostat. As you can see from the picture I have my thermostat set at 99.6 and the thermometer, which is in the middle of the rack, is quite colder. Yes they read the same temp when they are next to each other. What you see in the pic for temp difference is pretty consistent with what I'm seeing no matter where I put the thermostat.....meaning the other racks will be a degree and a half to two degrees different no matter where the thermostat is located. The fan does works... but it must be an airflow problem? I really don't know what to do....does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cmom]

To be honest I don't think it is a big problem. I have the same thing with my styrofoam incubators. I use my cabinet to incubate in and my styrofoam incubators as hatchers. My Hova-Bators fluctuate in temperature more than my Little Giant styrofoam incubators do but I still have great hatches. The hatches may take couple of days because of the temperature differentiations. Also, I usually do staggered hatches. Here are a few pictures of my set up. This is just works for me. I think of it like this, I have had broody's hatch eggs and they usually get off of the nest every day to eat, drink and poop. They may be off the nest for as long as 20 to 30 minutes. I had one broody that would not get off of her nest. I think she would have died trying to hatch her eggs but I took her off of her nest every day for around 20 minutes and blocked off her nest and as soon as I unblocked it she was back on it. All of her eggs hatched. Good luck...

 

[Unitsi]

if you want you humidity to stay 55-60 only open the middle holes in back of incubator enough for your finger to fit in it the hole should never be wide open this is how mine is and if i put 100 eggs in the bottom to hatch i hatch 90 to 95 of the eggs i hope this helps

I have the incubator with the 6 holes in the back as well (3 on top and 3 on the bottom).
I do not have the manual on how these holes work.

Is there a site/link that explains these holes or if someone is willing to explain these holes and how they work and what settings they should be at during incubation cycle?

Right now, I have 1 tray on top shelf with 35 eggs due to hatch next week (Mar 26th) of Black Copper Marans,

The temp been 97 decree for the most part and I been trying to keep humidity at 60%. ( all holes closed)

I read where keep all vent holes open - so I went out and opened all 6 vents for oxygen.

I am new at all this and any knowledge you wish to depart would be great!!