I found the instructions for your incubator online here:

http://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/Thermal%20Hova-Bator%20%20instructions.pdf

Make sure you are following them to the letter, incubators can be fussy. Are you using an automatic turner, and do you have eggs in it already, how many, etc.?

I have a similar incubator made by Little Giant--mine is a still-air, made of styrofoam, with three water wells and a thermometer.

Some things I learned with using my incubator: when I add more distilled water, it needs to be heated to 100 degrees before adding it. The incubator MUST be in an area that is free from drafts--away from doors and windows, which can make the temp fluctuate wildly. Mine has a small knob on top to adjust the temp, and when the temp is correct the little red light on top flickers on and off rapidly. If I have to adjust it, I make TINY adjustments.

One person on this forum placed his incubator in a closet and got excellent results--no drafts, no danger of someone walking by and bumping it, etc.

Our weather here in southern California has been nuts lately--cold days followed by a couple of days of 100 degree temps, now supposed to drop 30 degrees tomorrow. I've had to fuss with the incubator temp every few hours to keep it stabilized, but at least they've been tiny adjustments.

Good luck with your incubator, I'm sure someone else who uses your same model will come along with better advice.

Don't give up, hatching baby chicks is awesome and well worth it! :)

Velvet ~:>

I have several incubators and one is a Hovabator still air model. The big thing is finding someplace that has a stead temp in the house where it will be easy to maintain the temp. Have had no problems with temp on the Hovabator, but my Top Hatch on the other hand I have had nothing but problems with. I could not get it up to temp, so I finally wrapped it in a beach towel and folded another one in half to put it on top. The temp evened right out and I am hatching from it right now. So far the count is 4 which is almost better than what I got from it last year so sad. You might have to do some experimenting. Closets don't work for me, if I don't see it, I will forget it. Plus my closets are really cold. We keep our soda in there and save space in the fridge. I also had them on an out of the way kitchen counter where I though it was all good (light, wind temp etc) but turned out the front door was changing the temp every time the door opened. Check your areas, find the best spot and tell DH BITE ME :)

Billie

Ok yesterday afternoon I took it out of the guest bedroom and put it in the master closet which is connected to the bathroom. I did a full turn to increase as the problem was the temp was too cool, probably just due to the room. I also put a temp controlled space heater near the closet and set it to 70 degrees. The temp on the incubator did climb and went to high to 102 I kept adjusting and it got to 99-100 on the digital. I got up this a.m. and it was 100 then checked a bit later it was 99 so I know I am close now. I know that temp is probably good right? What is my window for eggs?? I read 99-102! I know too warm is far worse on the developing chick. I do plan to use a auto turner, no eggs in yet I am still collecting them. Now that I know how sensitive the incubator is to room temps and drafts I may have this under control and you can bet Billie DH has heard those words utter my lips before and he will hear it again if he suggest I move it again! Time will tell if I can keep this temp range constant. Thanks for the help and suggestions.

Your welcome, pay forward right.
My Top Hatch and Hovabator thermometers came marked 99.5 really big, which is a good thing for me. Anyway that is what I try to keep my incubators at. Unfortunatly, it does not allow too much room for error at the bottom. I would be interested to know what temps other people have sucess at. I bought two hygrometers from Egg Cartons.com when they had them on sale earlier in the year and I think that helped me a lot. I think I was keeping it too humid. Now I am keeping it at 40-45 until the hatch when I bump it up to 65-70. Seems to be working.
Keep that DH in line. Mine does not question me unless he wants an ezcuse to sleep on the couch. LOL

Billie

About humidity. How do I control that. I filled the center tray only and it is in the 50-60% range.

Goatster, you listen to her good, cause you know i'll be asking you these questions before long. Or better yet, I'll just buy some of your hatch. DW says I have to get the back deck finished and the barn up first (oh yea and grass in the back yard).

t

Really it is all experiment. My Hova I have two air vents on top and with both open and water only in the center tray, it stays around 40-45. So you might have to open vents or may have to try the other tray that goes around the center one, but that will probably raise the humidity more as on mine that tray is bigger. My first try would be the vents. Open one at a time and let it adjust. You might find you only need one open. Depends on your local humidity and your house.

Billie

Well "Mr. T" let's hope I can get the conditions right and enough eggs collected to git er done. This is only my second attempt. Last time I got 5 hatched sadly 4 were roos. Sounds like you need to git busy and quick. Thanks Billie I have both vents closed I will open one up. S

Well "Mr. T" let's hope I can get the conditions right and enough eggs collected to git er done. This is only my second attempt. Last time I got 5 hatched sadly 4 were roos. Sounds like you need to git busy and quick. Thanks Billie I have both vents closed I will open one up. S

Ha, I had one hatch using a broody hen...I gave her 5 eggs...she hatched 5 roos. :(

Velvet ~:>

Sounds like you guys have my luck. I bought a mixed batch of ducklings for my daughters 4-H project. out of 20 ducks, I got no Pekins (which is what she has to have for fair). Good news though, of the 18 that made it, 15 were hens. That is unusual. My norm, I would be lucky to get 1 hen, but I think they heard what Orange Sauce was :0 Hope we all have better hatches. I have 4 Royal Palm poults and I am really hoping that at least two are hens. Fingers crossed. Do you think it would help if I explained Thanksgiving to them??

Billie

Billie love those Royal Palms just looked them up. I think you should tell them you know how to STUFF em. That should do it. One of these days I may want some eggs from you. Those are beautiful birds. First I have to have some better hatches from my bator.

By the way, the temp is staying at a constant 99 now.

goatster - thanks. We get a kick out of peoples reaction to how pretty the turkeys really are. The peacock is not the only pretty one in the barnyard.
When you are ready we could try sending you some eggs. Never shipped any before, but it is a rare breed (Royal Palms and Bourbon Reds both are actually that is why we have them) and the more people raising them, the better their chances are right?
Yeah on the temp.

Billie