TIPS ON INCUBATING FOR LIL GIANT :fl

[ortjose]

can anyone give me any tips on incubator lil giant...im trying to hatch some eggs..plz help if you have experienced with a incubator..also what temperature and how much water????????

 

[sloallie10]

For a still air: I had mine at about 99* and it would go up and down over time. Make tinny tiny adjustments cause if you move it alot the temp rises or drops ALOT. I filled the water about every threedays and I filled one resivoir all the way, its about this long:
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At lockdown I filled up a measuring cup about all the way and I poured it in thee bottom, then I got a cup with the diameter about this long:
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and I got a sponge (cut it to fit in the cup perfectly) and put it in the cup.
Any more questions I would be glad to help!

 

[justtoni44]

HI,
I have a still air and 101 temp was recommended by BYC's.
Have a hydrometer and use that to keep track of humidity.
They do not have to be expensive. bought mine at pet smart for a few bucks. ($6.00 i think)
Really messed my first hatch up by not monorting the humidity.
It is important to calibrate it.can be way off.
You can learn how to do that here but cannot remember the thread that was suggested.
Possibly just type calibrate in the search and it will take you where you need to be,
I am sure you will get more feedback.........but the 101 temp seems to be important.other wise you will
have a late hatch. I had one at 25 days for this reason.
Good luck and have fun.

 

[sloallie10]

Oh and I did not have a hydrometer, so I totally guessed, but it worked! And I did NOT have a digital themometer so I could not tell what the exact temp was but I could see where the line went.

 

[speedy2020]

Here are few tips:
1) Use the egg carton for hatching
2) Try to keep the temperature 99.5-101F if you can. My temperature fluctuate from 93-103F and still hatched.
3) Keep the humidity 40-50% the first 18 day. You also need to turn the egg a few times a day before you go to work, after work, and before bed. I use something about 1-2" high block and slide from one end to other (all 4 sides). Add a spong inside the bator with as much water as you can. My hatching rate is about 60-75% so far.
4) Increase the humidity to 65-80% in the last 3 days and also stop the turning the eggs. To increase the humidity, I use 5 Bounce sheet paper towel and fold in 3" wide long strip. I dip half in the water and seal sandwich between the top and bottom bator. The wet part is inside the bator. This crease the humidity, seal the bator better, and also allow me to add the water to the Bounce paper towel without remove and refill water inside. Sorry.. there is too much work for me from the LG. I purchased the Brinsea 20 Eco and has plan to refill water without remove the top.

 

[funnybirds]

First time Hatcher here so please keep this in mind. This is what I have learned since I started this little adventure. Others may have had totally different experiences.

I have the LG still air. I have had temp spikes to 108 and as low as 96 degrees. You really have to watch the temp on these units. Especially the first few days. If you haven't added eggs already, you may want to run it empty with water in the wells and plugs out until it stabilizes. The turner knob is very sensitive. Only a hair of a twist will increase or decrease temps substantially. (Ask me how I know

I've also seen ways to modify this by adding a bigger knob on other posts.

I’ve heard the addition of a circulating fan can increase your hatch rates by stabilizing air temps. .The prices I’ve seen on these range from 28.00 to 40.00 plus.

I have one plug in and one out and move the plug over part of the ventilation hole to manage small fluctuations in temp. This may also decrease humidity so it can be a real challenge or not, depending on which school of thought you subscribe to with incubating humidity. I heard both plugs need to be out at lockdown, but again, there are several opinions about this so you will need to draw your own conclusions.

Every time you open this Bator you will have a temp decrease but it may be delayed and may come up slowly or really fast so remember that before you touch that knob. Every time I have moved the little knob I've had to CLOSELY monitor temps for 6 hours afterwards until temps have become stable. This alone is a good reason to get the egg turner.

Get a hygrometer if you don't have one. It is sooo worth the 6 to 10 dollars.

I am on day 9 and am curious myself about how to manage humidity on these units, as I have never gotten it over 50% and know I will have to master this by hatch time.

All of this said, many people have had successful hatches with these units and excellent results..


Best of luck to you.

Keep us posted.

 

[Tala]

Put a couple of Mason jars inside with 100*F water in them, they will help stabilize the temperature. Then get the temp adjusted for about a day before you put the eggs in. You'll want to run about 100-101*F in a still air.
Then, set a book and something heavy on top of the incubator because the LG doesn't "seal" very well around the edges.
I used a book to distribute the weight, and a box of .22 bullets on top for my first hatch and 17/20 hatched!!!

I hand turn, and NEVER adjust the knob after turning. Let it come back up to the original setting in it's own time - the eggs will be ok! The only time I have to adjust it is towards hatch day I usually have to turn it DOWN just a fuzz. Do not adjust the temperature when you can't be there to watch it for several hours. Don't turn the knob and then leave for work!!!!

I put water in the bottom, and don't worry about humidity very much until lockdown time. It hovers close to 40% with the trays full and I don't stress about it. To achieve hatching level humidity I have to add 2-3 warm wet sponges and usually re-wet them at least once during hatch.

 

[justtoni44]

HI,
I manage humidity by placing sponges in the unit and putting water on them with a
syringe connected to a piece of fish tank tubing. that way I do not have to open the unit to add water. I have read some people use a bendable straw.
good luck

 

[BooBear]

I am using the LG still air with the automatic egg turner.
Been able to keep a steady temp so far at 101F; humidity has been a bit harder to keep in it. I have one vent plug closed and the other out but slightly covering the hole to help maintain the humidity.

I do have a digital hygrometer that shows temp in celsious. Been trying to keep the humidity around 40 to 45%. Last time I peeked at it this evening it showed 44%.
I have filled all the troughs and even added a small styrofoam bowl with a small amount of water in it to get my humidity to where it is. I am thinking of adding a heavier glass bowl under the vent hole with a big sponge in it to help bring up the humidity during hatch as I do not want to risk the chicks knocking over the light weight styrofoam bowl.

I am using a turkey bastor to add water so that I do not have to open the lid very much. Also during lockdown I will use the bastor to add water through the vent hole to the bowl with the sponge as needed to maintaint the humidity in lockdown. Hopefully this will work.

The LG has smaller holes in it on the bottom and top for air to get in. Mine is sitting on a metal weave coffee table in our craft/hobby room. The weave in the table makes it easy for air to seep up through the holes on the bottom.

This is also my first time; but if any of this helps you too then I am happy to share info. December 6 is when I will be going into lockdown so hopefully the 9 eggs will make it that far.

 

[StormyMoon]

I used bricks to sit my LG incubator on, on a table... it does help with the circulation with the holes in the bottom. I do not have a fan in mine now that it is winter I wont have to worry about high temps as much as I will have to worry about temp getting to low.
I also have a plastic pan under to catch any dripping water.

I also fill the water wells every 3 days.

Spread the eggs out evenly this helps keep temps even inside don't put all in the center .

You do have to watch this incubator often when I say often I mean check every hour or more if you can or have someone monitor it for you when you can't.

I cant hatch during the summer my home gets to hot so I am doing all my hatching during the winter.

The LG incubator is very sensitive to temp changes in the room so you will need to put it in a place where it won't flux much some people put theirs in a closet I am using my bed room and have used my master bath room.

I use the turner I had trouble turning them my self and getting them to hatch right.

I also use a small sponge it was very hard for me to get humidity up before I got a sponge I used a wash cloth and wet it as I needed to.