LITTLE GIANT INCUBATOR TIPS

[gcarmack2001]

I have used an LG Still-Air Incubator for the past two years, and I've always gotten good hatch rates, but this year most of mine are dying early in the egg. I keep the humidity between 45%-50% and have been keeping the temp at 101*-102*
Unfortunately, the incubator has a tendency to spike during the night, so I've been lowering the temp to 98*-99* before I go to bed and am not up checking on it. Does anybody have any tips on using this incubator? I purchased a Little Giant Circulated Air Incubator today and have it running in preparation of this week's eggs. It has, so far, been holding the temp better.
I keep the still air in a dark room where no action happens and the circulated air is in my bedroom, where it usually stays pretty dark but I go through a door to get in and outside, so there's a couple of drafts. I'd love tips on both of these incubators, especially when it comes to controlling heat spikes in the still air.
P.S. I've currently got eggs in the still air, and have lost several early in incubation so far.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I run 2 LG 9300's. They are sensitive to changes in the atmosphere in the room they are set up in. I keep my bator room sealed up draft tight and ZERO air condition. I taped over the air condition vent and hung a sign on the door keep closed FAST.
Also LG meters LIE. It is best to have second and 3rd opinion meters. Straight out of the box and new from the factory, my LG lied from the first time it was ever fired up. One of my LG's is set on 107*F, 2 calibrated aux meters both tell me it is at 100.5*F, right were I need it.

 

[Kaerie]

During my recent hatch, my new LG circulated air incubator was off by as much as **9 degrees**(!!) in opposite corners of the bator. The 6 eggs I had in the very center, right beneath the fan did okay, but I really really REALLY was not happy with the temperature variance throughout the whole thing. I'm really glad I wasn't hatching more than just the 6 eggs.

Another problem I had with it was that the temperature wire was on a large piece of plastic that was supposed to lay across the top of eggs. However, my auto-turner kept making the plastic fall down beneath the eggs, which threw off the temperature quite a bit. I came home twice to my back-up thermometers reading 102+, because the wire had slipped down underneath/in between the eggs.

However, it worked GREAT as a hospital for my assisted hatch little one that I thought for sure wouldn't make it. I may just spend the money and get a Brinsea for incubating/hatching, and keep the Little Giant for fluffing up those newly hatched chickies or for emergencies.

 

[gcarmack2001]

I have been wanting to get a different brand other than the LG because of the trouble I've had, but my local Atwoods only has LG in stock and I can't afford to order. I'm hoping the circulated one does better. It's currently holding the temp a lot better than the still air, but I've only got one thermometer in there, so I'm not sure if the rest of the incubator is getting a nice, circulated temp. I'm considering using my still-air incubator as the hatching incubator after this round and using my older incubator that I usually use for my hatching for incubating. It has the knob (I much prefer the digital buttons and screen) but it keeps the temp stable and does great.

I'm thinking about putting them into my closet (which has no drafts and no vents at all), but it's super cold in there. Would that affect the temp too much in the incubators once everything was stable and settled?