What to expect with first incubator

[AllyRodrigues]

I just got my first incubator yesterday. It's the Hova-Bator 1602N. My husband got it set up last night-it has the fan and automatic turner. This model has a wingnut on the top of the bator that controls the temperature. So last night I left it at about halfway between the "increase" and "decrease" indications for a couple of hours after turning it on. I felt like it wasn't getting warm enough, so I turned it up a little. When I woke up this monring, it was 112!

I'm trying to get the temp and humidity stable before I put eggs in (hopefully tonight or tomorrow), but I need help on what to expect. Is it typical that you get your temp set right and then you don't really have to adjust during the process or do you sometimes need to? I just don't want any drastic changes...

Mine is in my finished basement, so the room temp keeps steady in there. How do you keep the humidity pretty stable during the process? I put some water in for the first time this morning and the percentage shot up to 60%..I would assume that the humidity levels drop as the water evaporates, though, so do you normally have to add water little by little during the first 18 days?


I can see how this would take some practice!!

 

[BHep]

congrats on the incubator..

Yes you will have to play with it a little to get the temps where you need them, you should ideally wait a full 24 hours before setting the eggs in. And as far as the humidity...same thing. Yes it will shoot up then should even out.

"MY" advice is to run your humidity LOW the first 18 days. 20-30%....then at lockdown 50-60%. Others will have different opinions, but this works for me. I actually don't add any water at all to my incubator until lockdown. Mine is reading 26% right now, just normal inside humidity.

Good Luck !!!

 

[AllyRodrigues]

OK, thanks for that! The humidity was at about 14% this morning with no water inside, so I think just a little should bring it up to where it should be..It's the temperature I was more worried about...Does anyone have this same bater? If so, will setting the wingnut halfway put it about where i want it?

 

[dbcooper02]

Here try this.
Starting with a cool incubator. Turn the adjusting screw clockwise until
it brings the wafer in contact with the thermostat switch and you hear a
light click. Notice that the pilot light goes out when you hear this click.
Now turn the adjusting screw counter-clockwise six complete turns.
The pilot light and the heater are now turned on and the wafer has
room to expand as the incubator heats up. The red pilot light will
always be on when the heater is on and will go off when the
heater turns off. Tighten wing nut after each adjustment.
As the incubator heats up, the thermostat wafer will expand
and operate the switch turning off the heater and pilot light. During
normal operation the light and heat will cycle on and off frequently.
While the incubator heats up, watch the thermometer. As soon as
it registers 99.5oF turn the adjusting screw clockwise very slowly
until the pilot light goes out. If the incubator temperature does not
reach 99.5oF before the pilot light goes out turn adjusting screw
counter-clockwise until the temperature does reach 99.5oF or until
the pilot light turns on. Adjust in this manner until you have the incubator
regulated to hold at 99.5oF. Operate for at least 30 minutes at this temperature
to be sure it holds this temperature.

 

[dbcooper02]

After you do all that please note that when you put the eggs in the temperature is going to drop and take quite some time to recover.
DO NOT readjust the temperature to try to bring it back up. It will get there on its own. It takes a while to heat up the mass of the eggs.

 

[AllyRodrigues]

Thanks SO much for taking the time to help me out!