I love mine.. its a plug and play.. its so easy. Since you are in Ohio and I in pa our humidity is close. I bought a thermometer/hydrometer at walmart its a smithfield (little white thing) and that is great for the humidity.
This bator is preset and I have hatched out quails, pheasants for my OH and I my silkies with no problem. I leave the red cap out. I do not use it.
I do not fill the resevior as it says as it holds humidity too well so don't need much water.
I would leave the eggs sit overnight when they arrive or at least 6-8hours to rest. Run your bator without eggs at least a day before you put them in. run without water for a few hours to see what the natural humidity is in there. Then add water after that to get it where you need it to be. I was doing so the humidity was at 40% but my last few batches I did at 50% and had a much higher hatch rate on my shipped eggs.
at day 18 I stop turning and put eggs on wire (i have a turner so I remove it) Directions say fill the second resevior I do not. I just add a bit more water to get to 65%-70%.. if it goes to 73 or 75% that is ok but I like to keep it at 65-70%.. I stop on day 18 turning and not day 19 as bantams tend to hatch earlier. I had some start to hatch the evening of the 18th day.
So by day 21 you should see pipping and hear chicks chirp.
Now when you place your eggs on the wire look down hole where plug is suppose to be. make sure that is clear of an egg. If I need water to keep the humidity up during the hatching time I do not open lid. I use a plastic cup and just dribble water down it. You just don't want an egg in the way of its travel down to the bottom. Just make sure its warm water not close and a bit at a time. Easier to add than try to remove if the humidity gets too high. DO NOT OPEN LID DURING THE TIME YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE CHICKS TO PIP AND THEN ZIP THE EGG TO GET OUT. YOU WILL LET OUT TO MUCH HUMIDITY and that is like shrink wrapping them in the membrane and they can not get out.
Other than that you are good to go.
When you run your bator without eggs then you put eggs in your humidity and temp will flucuate until the eggs warm up. It will settle in don't worry. After a few hours then check your humidity to get it where it needs to be. I have never had trouble with the temp with this bator. My OH has a little giant without the fan and he has all kinds of trouble that is why I hatch in my 1588 for him.
Hope this helps.
This bator is preset and I have hatched out quails, pheasants for my OH and I my silkies with no problem. I leave the red cap out. I do not use it.
I do not fill the resevior as it says as it holds humidity too well so don't need much water.
I would leave the eggs sit overnight when they arrive or at least 6-8hours to rest. Run your bator without eggs at least a day before you put them in. run without water for a few hours to see what the natural humidity is in there. Then add water after that to get it where you need it to be. I was doing so the humidity was at 40% but my last few batches I did at 50% and had a much higher hatch rate on my shipped eggs.
at day 18 I stop turning and put eggs on wire (i have a turner so I remove it) Directions say fill the second resevior I do not. I just add a bit more water to get to 65%-70%.. if it goes to 73 or 75% that is ok but I like to keep it at 65-70%.. I stop on day 18 turning and not day 19 as bantams tend to hatch earlier. I had some start to hatch the evening of the 18th day.
So by day 21 you should see pipping and hear chicks chirp.
Now when you place your eggs on the wire look down hole where plug is suppose to be. make sure that is clear of an egg. If I need water to keep the humidity up during the hatching time I do not open lid. I use a plastic cup and just dribble water down it. You just don't want an egg in the way of its travel down to the bottom. Just make sure its warm water not close and a bit at a time. Easier to add than try to remove if the humidity gets too high. DO NOT OPEN LID DURING THE TIME YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE CHICKS TO PIP AND THEN ZIP THE EGG TO GET OUT. YOU WILL LET OUT TO MUCH HUMIDITY and that is like shrink wrapping them in the membrane and they can not get out.
Other than that you are good to go.
When you run your bator without eggs then you put eggs in your humidity and temp will flucuate until the eggs warm up. It will settle in don't worry. After a few hours then check your humidity to get it where it needs to be. I have never had trouble with the temp with this bator. My OH has a little giant without the fan and he has all kinds of trouble that is why I hatch in my 1588 for him.
Hope this helps.
