Bator or egg temperature

[keystonepaul]

I've read of folks using a water wiggler trying to get at what the actual temperature of the egg being incubated is. I think that's the purpose of it. Obviously their is a correct temperature for the egg that provides it the right balance to grow and hatch. That temp is reached through the correct temp in the environment - under the hen or in the bator. Soo how do we know the right temperature for the egg? Knowing the "right" temp for the incubator makes sense to me. Folks have incubated eggs for hundreds of years refining thier experience and "data" to come up with an ideal general Incubator temperature that works "best", but how do we know what the ideal temp for the actual egg is? Do folks that use a water wiggler incubated at a slightly different temp than those that measure the temp of the environment (bator)? I guess I'm asking if there is any scientific evidence (a study or data) of the optimal internal temps of eggs developing and growing. Thanks, Keystonepaul

 

[Ridgerunner]

By the laws of thermodynamics, if you maintain an environment at a constant temperature, every inert thing in that environment will reach that temperature. That means if you want a constant temperature on the incubator, and you do, then that is the temperature you want the egg to be.

 

[keystonepaul]

So a water wiggler might mimic how quickly an egg got up to incubating temperature, but once reached would be no more effective as a thermometer placed inside the incubator in the vicinity of the eggs especially if it were a forced air incubator? other than piece of mind for us folks that worry? Keystonepaul

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
My water wiggler temps are stable between 99.5 and 100. My air temps run 100-104 as the bator cycles and the house temps change. Though I'm incubating a mixed hatch of guineas, turkeys and chicks I run it at the temps for chickens.

The air inside the bator is STILL coming from outside which is cooler and varies throughout the day in most houses. The more stable the room temps the smaller the bator swing.

If there were NO air exchange then temps inside the bator would be fixed if the thermostat was constant.

Can't do that and add fresh air. Without fresh oxygen an egg dies.

 

[keystonepaul]

That makes sense which would lend credibility to the use of the water wiggler. all the components at work are plain as the nose on your face but don't recognize them till someone spells it out for you. keystonepaul

 

[walkswithdog]

There was an excellent discussion on this forum of the importance of ventilation over humidity not too long ago, the search engine should cough it up for you.

And ventilation is why a water wiggler or other egg-interior type monitor is important.