🍃August Hatch-a-Long🍃

[kelseyk]

@kelseyk I have these, multiple per incubator: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWMJKP5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I like them because they store the temp history so you can see the fluctuations in temp and they can be calibrated.

I actually have a smaller Govee thermometer/hydrometer in all 3 of my hovabators for that same reason! It would be the white square thing sitting in the egg cup behind the large dial thermometer with the number 2 written on it. I love being able to track the temp. I have found that they will go haywire for short periods of time every now and then (like read 3-5 degrees cooler or warmer for a day or so then go back to normal).

 

[kelseyk]

@kelseyk I’ve also had hatches where some eggs are slower to develop, from the same batch, set at the same time, kept in the same conditions. I don’t know if it’s genetic or something else, but I rotate all eggs around the incubator as well as turning them so it shouldn’t be due to hot/cold spots. I think I would be more concerned with yours spiking - inconsistent temps with excursions below and above optimal will retard growth and cause some embryonic deaths for sure.
I have one of those probe thermometers that records high and low temps. One of those might be beneficial to you if you don’t already have one to see if you’re getting spikes. You put it in there and let it get to temp, then clear the hi and lo values and check it in 24 hours or so. It’ll show if you have spikes happening.

I bought a probe thermometer that records high and low temps....but then to find out when reading the instructions, that the thermometer shuts itself off after 10 minutes if the temp is below 122 degrees. My Govee also tracks temp so I can see highs and lows there too.

Here is a screenshot of the last couple weeks. When it was reading 103 was right after I calibrated the meat thermometer and it said the temp was about 3 degrees too low. (Guess the meat thermometer was wrong).

 

[Trisseh]

I bought a probe thermometer that records high and low temps....but then to find out when reading the instructions, that the thermometer shuts itself off after 10 minutes if the temp is below 122 degrees. My Govee also tracks temp so I can see highs and lows there too.

Here is a screenshot of the last couple weeks. When it was reading 103 was right after I calibrated the meat thermometer and it said the temp was about 3 degrees too low. (Guess the meat thermometer was wrong).
View attachment 2311557

That’s a silly setup from the manufacturer!
but definitely concerning... what kind of accuracy is the Govee supposed to actually have? The thermometer I got was a promo from the vaccine company and is a “scientific/lab” level one apparently, so it’s meant to be accurate within 0.1 degree. The other one I got is within a full degree which is a pretty huge range. So it helps to know how “smart” it’s actually supposed to be... I compare the fancy one to the cheapy reptile ones I got too, and find they’re actually pretty good, although the one is more accurate than the other. xD meat thermometers are meant to measure internal temps so probably would be more accurate if stuck into something. Haha.

Other question would be ambient room temp fluctuation and air flow I guess... and I’m not sure how it is with the styrobators but my plastic ones definitely have a correlation to the humidity as well. I think to a lesser extent yours does too - it looks like the temp dropped a bit each time your humidity peaked, from looking at your readings.

 

[Melontine]

Broody hen has chicks today! It's a bit cold and rainy, but so far I know she has at least 3 healthy little chicks under her.
I'm not sure how many eggs ended up staying under her, we had an issue of the other hens wanting to lay there and had to remove a couple that wouldn't fit under her. I think about 8 of the eggs I originally put under her are left. If it's nice tomorrow I plan to move her a little to see just how many chick's she's hatched, and candle any unhatched eggs too.

 

[microchick]

So my last egg is on day 23. Chick has pipped internally. Waiting....waiting....waiting.

Has anyone ever picked up an egg, held it a half an inch from your mouth and yelled GET OUT NOW! at it with any good results?

 

[ShrekDawg]

They grow up so fast he’s pretty thick in the front too! Got Jack’s build I guess LOL will be 6 weeks old Tuesday. Or Wednesday but I’m pretty sure he was the first one to hatch.

 

[kelseyk]

That’s a silly setup from the manufacturer!
but definitely concerning... what kind of accuracy is the Govee supposed to actually have? The thermometer I got was a promo from the vaccine company and is a “scientific/lab” level one apparently, so it’s meant to be accurate within 0.1 degree. The other one I got is within a full degree which is a pretty huge range. So it helps to know how “smart” it’s actually supposed to be... I compare the fancy one to the cheapy reptile ones I got too, and find they’re actually pretty good, although the one is more accurate than the other. xD meat thermometers are meant to measure internal temps so probably would be more accurate if stuck into something. Haha.

Other question would be ambient room temp fluctuation and air flow I guess... and I’m not sure how it is with the styrobators but my plastic ones definitely have a correlation to the humidity as well. I think to a lesser extent yours does too - it looks like the temp dropped a bit each time your humidity peaked, from looking at your readings.

I have found that the govee is pretty consistent with the meat thermometers that I have in each incubator. There are occasional periods that it spazes out and jumps up or down a couple degrees for a couple days (I usually take it out and blow out the sensor hole or take the battery off and that usually fixes it). I wouldn't trust it as my main thermometer....but it is nice to have as a secondary to alert of extreme temp changes.

My incubators are in my finished basement. There are no real drafts - it stays a pretty consistent 67 down their. They are in my workout room which has no windows. The hovabators do so much better at holding temp and humidity than any of the other incubators I have had.

Yes, the temp dropped every time the humidity peaked as I have to remove the lid to fill the water channels. So I lose some heat but doesn't take too long to come back up where I put warm water in the channels.

One of the ebay sellers I have been emailing back and forth mentioned that if temps are too high (bordering the 104.9 kill temp), that it will also slow growth. So hopefully all of this was just because my primary thermometer was faulty. (I will be set for incubator checks now as I have more thermometers than I know what to do with. LOL!) Now I need to go see if I broke my turner........I left the large dial thermometer in there overnight without taping it down and it got stuck between the rails and popped the rails off.....all of them!

 

[FortCluck]

So my last egg is on day 23. Chick has pipped internally. Waiting....waiting....waiting.

Has anyone ever picked up an egg, held it a half an inch from your mouth and yelled GET OUT NOW! at it with any good results?

I pulled out 3 quail chicks because yelling at them didn’t work

 

[AusHen]

My Welsummers are hatching. 6 out with a 7th zipping. If I'm right, so far its 5 girls and a boy.

 

[AusHen]

The 8th chicks has hatched but im not sure if it hasnt absorbed its yolk or if it has its intestines hanging out, whatever it is its not small! Waiting on the Mr to come assist me.
First ever issue like this but knew it was just a matter of time