before lockdown...

hayladee · Post by **hayladee** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:15 pm

I have a little giant incubator ....set 49 eggs on March 17....added automatic turner 5 days later, only held 42 so the dog got a couple green eggs that I couldn't candle, wondering about removing turner, when? or if at all, ...real rookie at incubating here. I have a credit at the local hardware store and was thinking maybe I'd get another bator to put chicks in after hatch....or put eggs in before lockdown? This would be day 11 for them, also have 7 in the mini brinsea on day 15. Do you take the turner out of the mini brinsea ? Its not working....I'm turning by hand and so far all ok, the last time I hatched they struggled over the egg holes in the turner, hatched 2 of 7 baby ducks. First its self...second me helping....the rest piped and stuck fast or didn't pip at all. Oh by the way, no instructions were given along with the bators....some friends huh

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:22 pm

I have 3 hovabators...i know, i know....and yes, they're all running flat out...LOL.
I take the turners right out at day18 at lockdown. and i have started hatching in egg cartons-just to keep the eggs from rolling around and being knocked all over by marauding chicks. LOL. back when i was learning how to incubate i'd seen it done both ways, all it took was for one chick to break a leg in the turner for me to decide it was coming out. So i lift out the entire turner with eggs, top up the water and then put the eggs back into the same incubator, just without the turner. and then leave them until day 21 or 22 depending on the hatch rate. if they seem slow i'll leave them longer.

for brooding the chicks after hatching something just as simple as a cardboard box with tall enough sides they can't get out, and a heat lamp hung over it will suffice. just need to keep them warm and draft free. i have, in a pinch, used a second incubator as a brooder. but the older the chicks get and the more they eat the harder the

is to clean up inside the incubator.....

so. day 18 is when you want to "lock down" chickens. day 25 for turkeys. i have no clue for ducks...or geese....LOL. lock down=stop turning, up the humidity and don't open again until they're all hatched.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:34 pm

Good advice there! I have Little Giants too. I have a dedicated hatcher - it's so nice to just be able to transfer the eggs and start right up with the next lot in the incy!

hayladee · Post by **hayladee** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:39 pm

THANKS!! am I understanding you right that you put the eggs in cardboard egg cartons in the bator on day 18 after removing the turner....I'm assuming small end down....fill water channels...warm water also assuming....and what about the red plugs? in or out?

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:48 pm

I take red plugs out because you need good airflow especially with that many eggs. I'm sure others will chime in!

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:19 pm

LOL i leave the red plugs in, or i can't keep the humidity high enough in the hovabator, and then take out the red plug to dry everyone off. Or the cat takes the red plug out half way through incubation and scoots it under the fridge....in which case i use electrical tape over the hole...um. LOL
i think that one will come down to doing what works for you!

yes, i put mine in egg cartons pointed end down, fat end up, and a little bit on a slant to the side (i have no idea if it helps anything or not). i just make sure that the bottom of the cartons don't get wet and wick water up from the reservoirs-otherwise sitting on wet cardboard will drown the chick inside the egg. i find most will pip closer to the side that is angled up a bit, and then when they hatch all the bits of shell mostly stay in the egg carton and it makes clean up so much easier!

hopefully in a few days you'll have new fuzzybutts!!!! ;-P

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:28 pm

ANd remember we need pictures!

hayladee · Post by **hayladee** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 4:27 pm

not looking good for the eggs in the little giant....the temp had gone up to 103 for some reason last week and today on day 20 I just couldn't wait any longer, opened and grabbed one out.....no pipping yet.... silence in the egg, no movement....opened and only 1/3 cooked....still have fingers crossed that some made it, will wait till at least day 22 but if no pips out of 41....guess the cats will feast....

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:48 pm

I ran a hova (very similiar to little giant) with fan, wafer thermostat, and auto-turner in a damp basement. Never added water to machine, with decent results on chickens, muscovy ducks, and quails. I had a problem that when the autoturner removed the bator temp would drop (from the turner motor not adding heat) and i'd piss around getting the temp right. I learned to leave the turner in and running but the egg racks out and eggs on bator floor so it was a turner motor turning nothing: did that for 20 years.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:51 pm

I now have a dedicated hatcher, so at lockdown I can set the humidity and J-cloth and bottom of egg cartons ahead of time,
Then it's just a question of candling and putting in to hatcher.
It's also a time saving system, because I can set another batch right away, (18 days after previous batch) without waiting 21, 22, or 23 days and then cleaning the Incubator.