The insanity I'm suffering with incubator setting conflicts for Chukar eggs requirements

[Birdslave]

Hi! I'm going through the exact same thing mentioned in other posts regarding hatching eggs and struggling with incubator temperature readings.
I think I have brain-socked myself silly like I'm mentally punch-drunk!!!

The incubator I have currently in use I got from a suggestion here, but it doesn't seem to reflect the proper temp. It can only be set to what is the "recommended temp. for the breed of bird egg I want to hatch". But it doesn't show me true temp., so I purchased 4 different hygrometer/temp. gauges. Same thing with your stories from some of you.

Humidity is finally all the same, basically. But the temp. readings are off. Only one, the hygrometer with the 3 red buttons on the bottom that have 2 wires running out from it to the incubator is the one that tells me what I want to see. It does the in/out, F&C degrees, and Humidity%. The other two were basically further from readings, so I don't bother with them much unless paranoia sets-in again...

The incubator had to be set at 101F to get the temp. readings for 37C(99.5F) with a 55%-60% humidity. (but I'm told the incubator should be set at 100F by the hatchery place and the factory model setting: but it conflicts!!! Thence my setting to 101F) The other temp. (They are both digital) reading is 34C with a 55-60%humidity. Both temp. and humidity probes are located next to each other in the same spot centered near the incubator's temp. probe to make sure they all "agree" on the same area of temp., This is a huge headache! I have the jumbl "small grey rectangular" model.

Any ideas?

 

[Jaime918]

It would help to post photos of your incubator and thermometer/hygrometers your using. Also, being able to see what your using might allow someone to step in to help you check calibrations.

 

[Jaime918]

Okay after googling the model and reading reviews, the thermostat seems to be an issue for many but their customer service is supposed to be fantastic.

Are the cords keeping the lid from fully closing?
Do you have a regular in your mouth thermometer that you would use if running a fever?

It'll be the best option for checking calibration, I've actually inserted one through a vent hole previously to match readings, but also if you have thick, non leaking plastic bag or a vacuum sealed bag is better, place the battery operated thermometers in said bag, get a cup or bowl of 50/50 water and ice(let sit for 5-10 minutes or so to level out the two. Place said bag in ice bath and your thermometers should read 32°F.

 

[MGG]

Hi! I'm going through the exact same thing mentioned in other posts regarding hatching eggs and struggling with incubator temperature readings.
I think I have brain-socked myself silly like I'm mentally punch-drunk!!!

The incubator I have currently in use I got from a suggestion here, but it doesn't seem to reflect the proper temp. It can only be set to what is the "recommended temp. for the breed of bird egg I want to hatch". But it doesn't show me true temp., so I purchased 4 different hygrometer/temp. gauges. Same thing with your story. Humidity is finally all the same, basically. But the temp. readings are off. Only one, the hygrometer one with the 3 red buttons on the bottom that have 2 wires running out from it to the incubator as the one that tells me what I want to see. It does the in/out, F&C degrees, and Humidity%. B

The incubator had to be set at 101F to get the temp. readings for 37C(99.5F) with a 55%-60% humidity. The other temp. (They are both digital) reading is 34C with a 55-60%humidity. Both temp. and humidity probes are located next to each other in the same spot centered near the incubator's temp. probe to make sure they all "agree" on the same area of temp., This is a huge headache! I have the jumbl "small grey rectangular" model.

Any ideas?

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble! Can you post a pic of your actual incubator? And did you calibrate your thermometers to be sure they're correct? If you didn't calibrate your thermometers there's no way to know if they're accurate and right, so they can't be trusted.

 

[Birdslave]

It would help to post photos of your incubator and thermometer/hygrometers your using. Also, being able to see what your using might allow someone to step in to help you check calibrations.

Thank you for responding to me!! I tried to post pictures. I had a child take it through my web cab, so it isn't perfect since I had to pose them and push mouse button. My cell can't play today. Sorry. I don't have much help here. But it's that incubator you see. I have a cheapo digital non-calibrated in the incubator as a refence, the other proper digital is by my sitting area for monitoring, so it's not in the picture, only the lead wires to the left of the unit. The one I have with 3 red dots is non-calibratable as far as I know.

 

[NatJ]

I honestly don't know how to calibrate them because I have nothing that is consistent in here to base a true reading off of.

Ice melts into water, and water freezes into ice, at 32F
Water boils at 212F at sea level, and there are charts of what other temperature it boils at for higher elevations.

Depending on the thermometer, you can typically use one or the other of those to check how accurate it is.

 

[Birdslave]

Okay after googling the model and reading reviews, the thermostat seems to be an issue for many but their customer service is supposed to be fantastic.

Are the cords keeping the lid from fully closing?
Do you have a regular in your mouth thermometer that you would use if running a fever?

It'll be the best option for checking calibration, I've actually inserted one through a vent hole previously to match readings, but also if you have thick, non leaking plastic bag or a vacuum sealed bag is better, place the battery operated thermometers in said bag, get a cup or bowl of 50/50 water and ice(let sit for 5-10 minutes or so to level out the two. Place said bag in ice bath and your thermometers should read 32°F.

I called him. Two days ago. His name was Morgan. Funny I recall his name since I'm awful at remembering names. He said I was okay at 100F high and 100F set. But then all meters go down. Do you know the digital meat cooking thermometer I have that I bought from Bed Bath & Beyond for around $40.00 works rather amazingly proper on internal temp? I took a blow torch, heated a philips screwdriver of the same circumference as the temp. probe, (sterilized the meat temp. probe, of course w/sanitizer all over the probe part going into incubator) and sunk the thing into the perfectly tight hole I melted into the incubator's shield cover right in the upper middle. It reads 99F-100F! So, how do you figure, I ask life? Because the digital meters for the incubators now read 72.7 F based on the adjustment I made to the internal temp. after reading stuff from here. It's a good 99F-100F now internal with digital meat with the other meters way-off!

Incubator is set again currently at 100F with a high of 101F. It's all wrong and confusing, but I'm at an internal of 100F meat therm. and digital hygrometer and temp. is at 99.7F with humidity at 60%. Crazy. It's the best I can do with fingers crossed. Thank you for helping with ideas!

 

[NatJ]

It's a good 99F-100F now internal with digital meat with the other meters way-off!

Did you check the meat thermometer, to be sure it is accurate?

 

[Birdslave]

Thank you everyone for helping with your ideas! I really appreciate it! This is a science in patience and heart-felt spazz-attacks! I'm just doting around like a fool trying to keep it around the temp. I'm supposed to.

Ironically, I have bantams, hens that is. But they are not broody now. They are laying their pile of eggs and they are NOT ready to sit for any extended period of time for anything yet. The best bird I have is a pigeon, but she is "pre-programmed" to sit a clutch of eggs out for a touch over two weeks, so that fires that thought. No way there, although she is as tame and sweet as a dog is!

 

[Birdslave]

Did you check the meat thermometer, to be sure it is accurate?

Basically through logic. Now two meters agree, and the other ones are in the same field of "thought" with it. I can't find any means at which to do any perfect temperature gauge calibration method. I can't check the exact calibrated heat or cold source unless I know the calibrator is calibrated. Do you see my confusion? I'd have to time the exact moment to boil or freeze point to get a guaranteed millisecond reading of the exact moment of "rapture" when the gauges are united to the body source for temperature calibration. Unless I shove it where the sun don't shine and I am PERFECTLY healthy. That wouldn't even work, because a human body fluctuates naturally between temperatures, too.

UG!