Advice on thermometer/hygrometer

[Orangeblossomhoney]

So, I purchased several thermometer/hydrometers to monitor my incubators. They are all brand new, two of them are the brand that was suggested in here. Batteries are new, and they've all been in the same incubator all day.
However, they all have different readings, and I am at a loss. The humidity is all similar, and reads similar to the incubator reading. The temperature readings are all different, and only one (99) is close to the incubator reading.
Any advice?

 

[JaeG]

You need to calibrate them against a medical grade thermometer. This is an excellent article explaining how:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Often there are warmer and cooler spots in the incubator too and you can rotate the eggs around the incubator over the course of incubation to even these spots out. But it's very important to have a calibrated thermometer that you know is reading true.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

You need to calibrate them against a medical grade thermometer. This is an excellent article explaining how:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Often there are warmer and cooler spots in the incubator too and you can rotate the eggs around the incubator over the course of incubation to even these spots out. But it's very important to have a calibrated thermometer that you know is reading true.

I second that.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So, I purchased several thermometer/hydrometers to monitor my incubators. They are all brand new, two of them are the brand that was suggested in here. Batteries are new, and they've all been in the same incubator all day.
However, they all have different readings, and I am at a loss. The humidity is all similar, and reads similar to the incubator reading. The temperature readings are all different, and only one (99) is close to the incubator reading.
Any advice?

Understand that I feel your pain. I went down the same road before. Also, understand that most thermometers are only supposed to be accurate to ± 2°F out of the box. You may get lucky and get one close or at 100°F actual temperature you may be reading 98 or 102.
As you know, that isn't accurate enough for incubation. So I have learned that I can't buy a normal big box store thermometer and expect eggs to hatch.
Also know that the incubator reading can also be off by just as much. They too need to be calibrated. If an incubator reading is 2F low and you have a thermometer that reads 2F high, you can end up believing the temp to be right when it isn't. I have also seen thermometers that are outside of that 4°F window. I once had a thermometer from an incubator manufacturer that was accurate at 60F and off by 4F at 99.5.
There is also a factor called drift. That is when they lose accuracy over time which requires periodic calibration. Mechanical thermometers - those with liquid or a bimetal coil - can be affected by environmental conditions a d sometimes dial thermometers may need calibration daily.
Because of the complex calculations made by electronic thermometers through computer circuitry, there can be errors. Electronic thermometers with detachable or interchangeable probes need calibration annually and the two components need to be calibrated together. That mitigates against composite errors.
So now we know that calibration, sometimes ongoing periodic calibration is imperative for incubation.
I can't tell you how many times someone posts that their eggs hatched a day or two late or a significant time early. When I suggest their thermometers or incubator controller is inaccurate, they insist they are accurate.
Chickens and other birds have been hatching for millions of years. The duration of incubation, hasn't changed in all that time for any species based on appropriate temperature.
There may be extenuating circumstances like hot and cool spots in an incubator but, barring that, if eggs hatch early, they were warmer than ideal. If they hatch late, they were cooler than ideal.
I've discovered 3 thermometers that are extremely accurate and also won't break the bank.
For years, I recommended the Brinsea Spot Check (bought from Brinsea so you know it is authentic as there have been knockoffs).
I also love the speed and precision of the calibratable thermoworks RT301WA. Mine hasn't needed calibration.
https://www.thermoworks.com/RT301WA
The newest one I recommend if you have a smart phone is the Govee Bluetooth H5074 thermometer/hygrometer. Both features are incredibly accurate.
https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Bluetooth-Temperature/dp/B07R586J37
I would wager that if you use all three of those in unison and they agree, they don't need calibration (yet).

 

[Mellowmalt]

orngeblossom, I think you have gotten good answers so far, out of curiosity which of the thermometers were recommended to you cause I personally find the thermopro's to be most innaccurate out of all I've tried over the years. The harbor in my experience will be the most reliable out of the lot and it is reading 1-2F lower than the rest. So yes that makes it very challenging, you will want to think that the majority will be correct but not if you follow the logic from chickencanoe above ^

I will also add that sometimes the position of the probe on the thermometer might make a difference, on some they might be lower down than on others and in an incubator there are different temperatures throughout.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that if the temperature is out a little that incubating can't be done, I think the range of error is quite big, one might just get a reduced hatch if things aren't ideal.

Edit: I just converted the readings to centigrade and they are all within an acceptable level as long as they all go up by 1 degree F.
So all you need to do is set your incubator preset temperature 1 degree higher. So if it is currently set to 100, set it to 101 and trust the majority of the thermometers you have that your incubator runs 1 degree too low.

 

[Sierra G]

I'll second the opinion on the importance of calibrating your equipment. This includes the sensor on your incubator. It it's reading too hot your eggs will be too cool. If it's reading too cool the incubator will be hot. So if you're setting your controller to 99.5 and your temp is 102 inside, set the controller down 2 degrees and recalibrate. Ideally all of this is done with bottled water or eggs you aren't going to incubate in the incubator. Figure out what you have to set your controller to to get a temp between 98.7 and 100.3F and as close to your optimum as possible.

My second recommendation is to go to an auto parts store and get an infrared thermometer for less than $20. (Or use a medical one if you prefer.). That will let you check the actual temperatures of the eggs (or your bottled water during setup) themselves (I turn the laser pointer off for that and mostly use it to tease the cat). The problem is you can get hot spots, and if you're using an auto turner instead of hand turning the eggs you never really know how hot they are. Too hot and the embryo dies, too cool and the eggs fail to develop. The IR thermometer let's you quickly check each egg without touching them. Then when you turn them you can rotate between hot and cold spots. Or if they're all too cool or hot you can take necessary action and hopefully save more of your hatch.

 

[Orangeblossomhoney]

Thank you all for your advice!! I purchased two of the 3 recommended thermometers by chicken canoe, and will get a medical grade thermometer to help with calibration. I appreciate you all taking the time to help.
Thankfully, I have always had great hatches, every week, so the actual temperature is somewhere within the acceptable range. The thermometers were supposed to be used to anticipate any future problems with the incubator's internal thermometer.
Thanks again

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's a good plan. Medical thermometers are required to be accurate to ± 0.2°F when tested in a water bath between 98 and 102. And fortunately, that is incubation range.

 

[Birdslave]

So, I purchased several thermometer/hydrometers to monitor my incubators. They are all brand new, two of them are the brand that was suggested in here. Batteries are new, and they've all been in the same incubator all day.
However, they all have different readings, and I am at a loss. The humidity is all similar, and reads similar to the incubator reading. The temperature readings are all different, and only one (99) is close to the incubator reading.
Any advice?

Hi! I know this is an old message, but I'm going through the exact same thing. 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?