I, like many people, have a Hovabator- an inexpensive, entry level incubator. In fact I have three, two with a fan and one without.
I have been hatching for three years in these things and have learned a lot through trial and error. Here are some ways you can make your Hovabator at its peak of efficiency for you.
I was inspired to revamp a previous writing on this subject after posting recently. I had a superb hatch and along with my previous knowledge, I have Clayton and his excellent presentation on incubating to thank.
So some of my previous hatches were more successful than the others. I have thought long and hard about my successes and failures and compiled a list of things I do to make my hatches more successful.
1. Humidity- I live in Dryberta. There is much debate on adding water to increase humitity or not to add water. Our climate is dry. It makes sense to add water. I found an inexpensive hygrometer in Canadian Tire and have been using that to monitor humidity. I try to maintain 40 percent for incubation and 50 percent for the hatch.
2. Egg turner- Imperative if you want to maintain humidity and temperature, though you can get along without one.
3. Thermometer- You must have a good one specifically developed for incubation. I find there is huge variation between different thermometers. I think that an accurate thermomater in one of your most important resources. Mine is from Clayton and I use it constantly. I take the temperature three times a day just on the top of the eggs and watch and record the high and low temp in a heating and cooling cycle. Then I find the average and that is my temperature. I tweak as needed. Even in a Hovabator with a fan the temperature varies wildly throughout the incubator, often a difference of three degrees. Because of this I always turn the top one quarter turn three times a day to distribute the heat differently. Also when I lockdown the incubator I am very vigilant for temp changes. Often a spike happens at that time and could damage the hatch.
4. Fan in the incubator- not necessary! the still air works just as well. The major difference is the layers of air temperature. Without a fan they are rarely mixed. Heat rises. The difference of a centimeter when measuring the temperature may mean several degrees difference. Still air makes temperature regulation difficult.
5. Location- I hatch downstairs. The temperature there varies very little. Upstairs I find as the house warms and cools during the day it changes the incubator temperature substantially.
Gotta go, my still air Hovabator is hatching as we speak!
I have been hatching for three years in these things and have learned a lot through trial and error. Here are some ways you can make your Hovabator at its peak of efficiency for you.
I was inspired to revamp a previous writing on this subject after posting recently. I had a superb hatch and along with my previous knowledge, I have Clayton and his excellent presentation on incubating to thank.
So some of my previous hatches were more successful than the others. I have thought long and hard about my successes and failures and compiled a list of things I do to make my hatches more successful.
1. Humidity- I live in Dryberta. There is much debate on adding water to increase humitity or not to add water. Our climate is dry. It makes sense to add water. I found an inexpensive hygrometer in Canadian Tire and have been using that to monitor humidity. I try to maintain 40 percent for incubation and 50 percent for the hatch.
2. Egg turner- Imperative if you want to maintain humidity and temperature, though you can get along without one.
3. Thermometer- You must have a good one specifically developed for incubation. I find there is huge variation between different thermometers. I think that an accurate thermomater in one of your most important resources. Mine is from Clayton and I use it constantly. I take the temperature three times a day just on the top of the eggs and watch and record the high and low temp in a heating and cooling cycle. Then I find the average and that is my temperature. I tweak as needed. Even in a Hovabator with a fan the temperature varies wildly throughout the incubator, often a difference of three degrees. Because of this I always turn the top one quarter turn three times a day to distribute the heat differently. Also when I lockdown the incubator I am very vigilant for temp changes. Often a spike happens at that time and could damage the hatch.
4. Fan in the incubator- not necessary! the still air works just as well. The major difference is the layers of air temperature. Without a fan they are rarely mixed. Heat rises. The difference of a centimeter when measuring the temperature may mean several degrees difference. Still air makes temperature regulation difficult.
5. Location- I hatch downstairs. The temperature there varies very little. Upstairs I find as the house warms and cools during the day it changes the incubator temperature substantially.
Gotta go, my still air Hovabator is hatching as we speak!
