If it is a Miller Manufacturing Little Giant Still Air incubator model 9200 (I have one I've used for years with terrific results) you can get a look at it here:

http://www.miller-littlegiant.com/productItemDetails.asp?search=false&productCategoryID=poultry&productTypeID=Incubators&productItemID=9200

There is a link there for 'Contact Us', I'm sure if you called or emailed them they'd be happy to email or send you a copy of the incubator instructions, just tell them you lost your copy. :) Nice folks there.

You do have to add water to the bottom--distilled water only. I turn my eggs 3 times a day by hand, too, but I don't put them in an egg carton--not sure if the temp and humidity would be correct if you did. For my incubator the temp is supposed to be 100 degrees, but about halfway through the gestation cycle, as the embryo forms it generates heat, so you'll have to turn the thermostat down when needed.

If you don't have any luck, let me know and I'll copy & scan my instructions and send them to you. My incubator is full of eggs right now, due to hatch on Friday! :)

Velvet ~:>

Yes! It is a Miller Little Giant. No model number I can see but says 30 watt. I still can't seem to get the temp lower than 101, been trying for almost 24 hours. There is a little silver metal knob thing to turn the heat down, where is your set, mine is almost to the pointing straight down position. It appears I must turn it clockwise to make it cooler? Does your have a small round hole on the lid? I will keep trying but if I don't get it down I will contact them. Any chance you could post me a picture of the top of yours? So I can check and see if mine is missing something. It is used.

Here's a pic of the lid. It not only has several small vent holes, it has two larger ones that are normally capped with red plugs--one is near where the cord meets the lid, the other is above it, next to one of the viewing windows. If the red plugs are still in yours, it won't work properly. They need to be removed when operating the 'bator. Also, make sure that the viewing windows are seated all the way in the lid (careful!) and that the lid is seated all the way when you put it back on. The spot you choose for the incubator needs to be free of drafts.

{{gwi:38442}}

Next is a pic of the control knob--mine just rotates in the direction of the arrows--increase or decrease the temp. When I adjust mine I barely move it. If it's too cool, I turn the knob a tiny bit until the red light comes on. When it's working correctly and holding the right temp, the red light flashes on and off rapidly. When the light is off, it's not heating, when it's on, it's heating. Best pic I could get:

{{gwi:38443}}

Here's a pic of the thermometer that came with the incubator. The numbers were wearing off from cleaning it after the hatch was done, plus it's almost impossible to read the thing when it's in the incubator through the viewing windows, so we took a Sharpie and made a BIG line at 100 degrees :)

{{gwi:38444}}

Hope this helps! :)

Velvet ~:>

YES it does! First off, one of the red plugs are still in. My adjusting knob is different. I don't have a regular thermometer, I have one of those new fangled digital wireless remote kind. The one part is inside and the one I use to read it is nearby on a dresser. But for the most part, it is the same incubator. Thank you so much for taking the time to get me all the pics and info. Ok, I will take out the plug and see what happens. Now do I need a new thermometer. I had the most trouble even finding one!

Last I checked I now have the temp in the 100 range. 100.6 last time I looked. Getting MUCH closer. Thanks for the help! I guess I just need to unplug that other hole. Had no idea!

Yay! :) One year I forgot to remove one of those little red plugs and had one heck of a time trying to figure it out...*L* Now, when I store it, I don't put the dumb things back in, I leave 'em out!

Just as an afterthought, check the bottom of the incubator, too. It also has holes that need to be clear, but no plugs. The bottom of the incubator has little built-in feet that hold it a little above the tabletop so air can circulate. Make sure you don't have it sitting on something like a towel, it should be a hard tabletop-type surface.

Also, all three wells should be full of 100 degree distilled water. When I need to add water to the incubator during the incubation period, I find that if I heat 1 1/2 cups (about) of distilled water for 30 seconds in the microwave, it's right on the mark.

Velvet ~:>

BUMMER, got up this morning and it was down to 97. I will keep trying but I am giving up hope the temp can be regulated. Is well water ok? Oops I do have it sitting on the floor ( on carpet ) next to my bed. I just have no place it would seem to set this up. I have to keep it away from the cat. I suppose I could try finding a piece of plywood. Thanks Velvet for trying to get me there. I will work on it all day today. Hopefully I can get it.

Ok, perhaps I am not waiting long enough after adjusting the knob. How long should I wait for the temp to adjust once I turn the knob some?

I'd get it up off the floor and onto a table if possible--the temperature down on the floor can be a lot cooler and draftier than higher up. My instructions are adamant about using distilled water only...I get mine at the grocery store, it's pretty common. :)

My incubator when getting fired up and adjusting can take up to 6 hours to stabilize. Adjustments to the temp usually take around 45 minutes to show, give or take. You might try putting some eggs that you have no intention of hatching into it and see if the temp holds better--say, eggs from the fridge that have been allowed to come to room temperature.

If it's cold at night in your area, the temp in the incubator will most likely need to be turned up a bit at bedtime, and down again in the AM when the room warms up again. I find I have to tweak mine a tiny bit this way.

Velvet ~:>

Always wanted to know just what was distilled water. So

"Distilled water is created by boiling water, which releases steam. This steam is then condensed, forming liquid water that is collected in a clean container. This process not only produces pure water since any minerals or other substances in the water are left behind, but also the heat sterilizes the water so that live fungal and bacterial pathogens are not present in the distilled water."

The same stuff we used in moms iron way back when.

goatster do you have this working right now?

After viewing Velvets flock cant wait to hear what she has comming out of eggs today.

ML

No, I had to buy a new thermometer. I have 2 in there now. An old fashioned type and a digital. The best I seem to be able to get is 99 or 101, I can't get in between for some reason. SO frustrating. I haven't given up yet. IF I ever do get this going, can someone tell me what the humidty is suppose to stay at? At this point it is looking hopeless, but from every thing I have read about still air incubators 101 is an ok temp.

ALSO I forgot to say, it would seem the old fashioned thermometer is reading a temp about 1 degree warmer. Which is right? Can one degree make a major difference in hatching?

101 or 102 is OK for a still air. Just make sure you turn at least 3 times a day, mark the eggs on each side so you know for sure, and roll them over.

The only way to tell which one is right is to add a THIRD thermometer to break the tie. *L* Like cheribelle says, the most important thing is the turning of the eggs, keeping water in the wells and to use FRESH eggs.

Our hatch so far: 2 eggs from Skitters, a little charcoal gray cochin/americaunas mix, 1 egg from Bear (and the chick is HUGE), an americauans mix, and 2 banties (one is obviously a Dark Indian Game Cornish Rock). Two banty eggs also hatched under Boots, our partridge cochin. Several of the chicks are booted and have facial tufts to the point of ridiculous, and all are cute!

They are all under mama Boots right now, she graciously accepted the extra 5 chicks we stuffed under her and is raising all 7 babies. So far the rest of the eggs in the bator are not pipping, although my daughter thinks she saw some rocking. Time will tell! :)

Velvet ~:>

FINALLY I got the temp right. Within reason anyway. Now for the humidity. I have the trays full of water and a soaked sponge and it is staying in the 50's what else can I do? Mist them? I put the eggs in Easter Sunday night.

If you follow the directions and keep the wells filled with distilled water, the misting and sponge should not be neccessary...? Just top off the water in the wells with 100 degree water every two or three days when you turn the eggs and it should be fine. You don't want things TOO wet. :) Think of a mama hen--she's warm, cozy and provides some natural humidity, but she's not wet.

Good luck on the hatch! :)

Velvet ~:>

Thanks Velvet. I have to at least give it a try. I do hope I can get a few. I started with 7 eggs.

I bought one of those incubator's too and had a tough time getting the temp right. Here's what finally worked for me. I had it sitting on my breakfast table in the kitchen so it was a constant reminder to keep the eggs turned. But with all the house traffic, the door opening and closing, the ceiling fan, kids in an out of the refrigerator, ect. ect the incubator simply WOULD NOT maintain a constant temp. So I moved it to my closet. No drafts. Dark. Quiet. Small but large enough for air circulation. Perfect. Plus it was in my way in the morning before work and in the afternoon afterwork to remind me to turn the eggs. Bingo. I hatched out a bunch of button quail. Also, I went to Lowes and bought one of those digital thermometers that has a sensor on the end of a long wire. You're supposed to put the sensor outside to keep track of outdoor temp and humidity, while the unit is mounted on the wall inside. It's about he side of a hershey bar. I put the whole thing in the incubator, and it worked like a charm to keep track of temp and humidity.

I run my little giants with one hole plugged and one open , otherwise the humidity gets too high. I try to keep the humidity around 45- 55% during incubation and only add the wet sponge the last three days. With the sponge humidity is about 70%. You need to pick up a small hygrometer to put in your incubator . While humidity is not as critical as temperature it is still very important. The egg cell needs to increase over time for a proper hatch. Good luck with your eggs.
linda

Love the closet idea... :)

Velvet ~:>

Ok it has been 9 days. Many mornings I would get up and my temp would be down to 97. I candled the eggs and none are good. If you go to the link I provided, all my eggs looked like the one on the right next to last set of photos. I think I need a new incubator. This one was used and just thrown in on a deal on some hens. What is a really good incubator. I was looking at the Hova-Bator in the Jeffers catalog for $36. Thanks to all who helped me get started.

Here is a link that might be useful: Candling Eggs

Sorry it didn't work out. :( But at lest you gave it a try, and now you have some experience under your belt, if nothing else. :)

How many chicks are you going to be trying to hatch each year? If you just want to do a few, you can get another Little Giant or even construct your own incubator (do an online search for how-to's). Depends on how serious you want to go at this--if you plan on hatching several hundred chicks a year your going to want a more serious incubator.

Velvet ~:>

I am not set up at all to do 100 chicks per year no way. Something I may consider in the future but not now. I just want to do about a dozen a year. Nothing big right now. I have to expand.

How about making the eggs exposed to high temperature at approximately 120*F for 4 hrs., does it kill the embryo right away, coz after noticing it, I immediately pull the eggs out of the bator, and cooled the before getting them back the bator at the right temperature, does the eggs still have a chance of hatching?