Incubator Help please

[Wnunezcruz]

I was given an incubator for free from a friend. It is a hovabator 1602. I dont know much about this kind of incubator. Is it hard to run? Is there anything special that it needs to run? I have a circulating air hovabator 1588 model and its really easy to run, but i was told this is thermal and they are harder to run. Is this true?
Thanks for your input.

 

[quintinp]

Well, you got an AWESOME deal, I only wish I could get half as lucky. Yeah you have a great little piece of machinery. The thermostat is a good one too. I would suggest putting a fan in it though. Attaching a 12 volt PC fan to a phone charger with an output of 12 volts.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Jealous over here! Love hovabators! I use one from the late 80s and a new one. The old one has a fan, the new one doesn't because I've been lazy, but I plan to install a PC fan. As a still air, I measure the temperature at mid-egg level and keep it @ 100 degrees +/- 1 degree and use dry incubation where NO water is added at all until lockdown.

 

[quintinp]

Yeah, if you want to get really good hatches, get a good hygrometer, and don't add water to the incubator the first 18 days. Sometimes if the house is really dry you can't get away with not adding water to the incubator, but for most it is usually fine. You want the humidity to be 20-30% the first 18 days. The last three days you want to get a pan, and put a pile of shredded cotton T-shirts in the pan and soak it with water.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I place one of my cotton crocheted wash cloths under the wire and soak it with water at lockdown to maintain humidity at 60-ish%

 

[Wnunezcruz]

Thank you everyone for the fast answers! They are really appreciated. I feel so lucky and excited. I saw it just laying around in his barn and told him to give me a price and he said take it.

 

[KandiandJerry]

I run 3 of the exact same ones with fans and they are great mine has turners in them which are around 40 dollars so you may or may not want one of those but you got a good one

 

[Wnunezcruz]

Quote:
Thank you for your input. It actually has a turner with it. Another bonus of course!

 

[dbcooper02]

Looking at the photo, with the relocated thermostat, it appears that the fan kit may already be installed.

 

[KandiandJerry]

thats what I was thinking after I took a second look