GETTING THE INCUBATOR READY
With the incubator sections correctly
assembled as per the foregoing
explanations, and being sure that the
wick is laying under the screen through
two slots in the base and is extended
outward toward the fountain, plug the
electrical cord into a wall socket. The
fan will begin spinning and the heater
will come on, indicated by the small
light.
TEMPERATURE REGULATION
The incubator was regulated before it
was shipped to you. Due to handling in
shipment, it may require further
adjustment. Watch the thermometer as
the temperature builds up. The
indicator light should go off at 100°F.
After that, the light will go on and off at
short intervals. This on and off of the
indicator light and a constant
thermometer reading of 100°F indicate
the thermostat is controlling the heat.
The thermometers should be
inspected many times for several days
to be sure the temperature is fully
stabilized.
TX-6 TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT:
The TX-6 has a solid state temperature
control. The regulator shaft protrudes
through the dome above the thermostat
board. Turning the shaft CLOCKWISE
will increase the heat, turning the shaft
COUNTERCLOCKWISE will lower the
heat. In regulating the thermostat, turn
the shaft slowly and carefully.
TX-7 TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT:
The TX-7 has a 10 turn solid state
temperature control. This control is
designed to operate the incubator in a
range of 80 to 106°F. Each 360 turn of
the control covers a range of
approximately 2 - 3°F for precise
temperature setting.
When tested at the factory, the control
was set at 100°F. To LOWER the
Temperature turn the control knob to
the LEFT and to INCREASE the
temperature turn the knob to the RIGHT.
Remember that a COMPLETE 360
TURN of the potentiometer covers only
3°F. Make small adjustments to the
temperature desired.
REGULATE THE INCUBATOR AT:
100°F for temperature and 86°F (wet
bulb) for humidity (for chicken eggs).
HUMIDITY REGULATION
With the nut on the neck screwed against the
bodyofthefountain,fillthefountainwithwater.
Place a finger over spout to prevent spilling
and invert the fountain over the socket on the
base. Remove the finger and quickly slide
the spout to the bottom of the socket. Water
will immediately gurgle into the base
segment adjacent to the fountain. Capillary
attraction will soon wet the entire wick up to
the thermometer, after which the wet bulb
will register humidity. With the fountain in
place and the incubator running at 100°F,
humidity may stabilize inside the incubator
in about five minutes. A humidity reading
may then be made. Unless the incubator is
in a very humid climate adjustment to
increase the humidity will be needed. With
the fountain remaining in place in the socket
on the base, more water is introduced into
the base by holding the nut on the fountain
neck and turning the fountain
counterclockwise a half turn. Read the wet
bulb again and adjust the fountain upward
again if it is needed. Continue to adjust the
fountain upward in slow steps until the
reading of 86°F is obtained.
Humidity accumulates in the incubator
from evaporation in direct proportion to the
surface area of water in the base. Each
counterclockwise half turn elevates the
fountain 1/16 inch and causes water to run
into another cup Segment of the base. Dry
climates require water in more cups than
humid climates. Continually elevating the
fountain will eventually run water into all
seventeen cups. The object in humidity
regulation is to determine what the
elevation of the fountain and the number of
cups with water should be for your climate.
Watching the wet bulb thermometer while
elevating the fountain half a turn at 3 to 5
minute intervals will eventually produce the
desired reading of 86°F.
If hard, mineralized water is used, the wick
may become clogged in a number of days,
before this happens, you will have arrived
at a satisfactory adjustment. Before each
hatch, a new wick may be installed or the
old one may be removed and washed to
remove the materials that may have
stiffened it. The use of distilled water in the
fountain will largely eliminate the problem
of mineral clogged wicks.
WHY EGGS ARE TURNED
It is necessary to turn incubating eggs for
the very same reason a person turns
himself while sleeping. That is, to relieve
the pressure that restricts the nerves and
impairs circulation. The mother hen on the
nest instinctively beaks and turns the eggs
at intervals Developing embryos in the
eggs will not grow in vigor and strength
unless they are turned at regular intervals.
Lack of turning may cause chicks to have
paralyzed feet, crooked toes or to be so
weakened as not to be able to escape the
confines of the shell at hatching time. Any
interval of turning longer than three or four
hours gets declining results according to
scientific studies. The longer the wait after
four hours, the weaker the chicks may be.
POINTEGGSTOCENTER
Eggs are set in the turning ring with the
small ends pointing to the center.
THEDEGREEOFTURNING
Ideally, eggs would be turned 180 degrees.
That is, the side that is up before the eggs
are turned will be down after they are
turned. Generally, however, varying sizes
of eggs cause some to be rolled more than
others. With automatic turning when the
eggs are moved once an hour, experience
shows that it makes little difference if
some eggs are turned more and others
less.
Bulletin 281-161 Page Three
Marsh Turn-X Incubator with Automatic Turning, SB00711 • enasco.com/science/
