New Incubator and Temps.

[ldrchickens]

Hey guys! I received my incubator yesterday and it has been running for a whole day now to test temps before adding eggs. The thermostat and thermometer are reading slightly different temps. I purchased 3 different types today and one did not work and the other is several degrees off. The third is a mercury therm and reading somewhere between 99*f and 100*f. As for the incubator thermostat and digital thermometer here are the readings:
Set temp : incubator temp: thermometer temp
100.2 : 100 to 100.2 : 99.9
100.0 : 99.8 to 100.0: 99.7
99.8 : 99.6 to 99.8 : 99.5
99.6 : 99.5 to 99.6 : 99.3
99.5 : 99.3 to 99.5 : 99.1 to 99.3

So i am a little lost. What should i leave it sat at. Which one is right? I cannot find a reliable thermometer. Please help!! Is it safer to run it a 10th lower or higher? TIA!

 

[Notaneggspurt]

What brand of incubator is it?

 

[sylviethecochin]

They don't seem "off" enough to make a huge difference. Chickens routinely rotate eggs from the warmer interior of the nest to the cooler outside, and they run a temp of 107. So the temp only has to be accurate to about within half a degree for your eggs to have a pretty good chance of hatching. And your thermometers are within half a degree of each other.

But if you want to go to a lot of fuss, take a cup of ice and set it out. Ice is at thirty-two degrees. Stick your thermometer and thermostat in there and mark if they're above or below, and if so, by how much? Then do the same with boiling water. Water boils at 212. Find out which is the accurate thermometer, and go by it. That's how I had to calibrate thermometers in high-school chem, anyway.

EDT: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-calibrate-a-thermometer-step-by-step-article

 

[ldrchickens]

What brand of incubator is it?

Hovabator 2370 elctrothermostat and fan

 

[ChickNanny13]

Check your humidity also ....

 

[ldrchickens]

They don't seem "off" enough to make a huge difference. Chickens routinely rotate eggs from the warmer interior of the nest to the cooler outside, and they run a temp of 107. So the temp only has to be accurate to about within half a degree for your eggs to have a pretty good chance of hatching. And your thermometers are within half a degree of each other.

But if you want to go to a lot of fuss, take a cup of ice and set it out. Ice is at thirty-two degrees. Stick your thermometer and thermostat in there and mark if they're above or below, and if so, by how much? Then do the same with boiling water. Water boils at 212. Find out which is the accurate thermometer, and go by it. That's how I had to calibrate thermometers in high-school chem, anyway.

EDT: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-calibrate-a-thermometer-step-by-step-article

well i woke up this morning and the digital thermometer was reading 98* degrees. but the glass thermometer is still 99 or 100 and the incubator is bouncing from 99.3 to 99.5 constant.

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Hovabator 2370 elctrothermostat and fan

I don't have any experience with that model. Is this your first time hatching?

 

[ldrchickens]

I don't have any experience with that model. Is this your first time hatching?

Yes very first time ever!

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Yes very first time ever!

Congrats! I was trying to find the article that is highly recommended for hatching. My biggest piece of advice is try not to worry too much. It's very hard. As far as the temps I think it's ok. As another poster suggested have you checked your humidity? That is just as important. I'm out running around right now but the article/post was by Sally sunshine?

 

[casportpony]

Check out the articls by @Pyxis
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/author/pyxis.130871/