Another question about incubator temps. Eggs are in

[babsbag]

I keep reading posts where people say that you need to base the temp of the incubator by the temp inside the water wiggler or fake egg. I just can't seem to get my brain to really accept that. All the directions and articles that I read about temps say still-air 101.5 measured on top of the eggs and forced air at 99.5 measured anywhere in the incubator. And then they say that the temp inside the egg will be the avaerage of what ever the temps are inside you incubator. No where can I find anything that suggest that you need to monitor the inside temp of the egg.

Now, the only incubator I have is one that I made, and this is my first hatch. And I made a water wiggler. But I can't get the temp inside the wiggler up to 99.5 unless the temp in the incubator is 102 or higher.

With incubators that are electronically controlled with a digital display, such as the Brinsea, what is the air temp inside you incubator and what does the control say that they temp is? Are you setting it at 99.5 and the air temp is 99.5?

Can anyone shed some light on what temps I need to use? Water wiggler, or air? Won't the inside of the egg eventually stabalize and match the air temp?

Thanks for all input and ideas.

 

[Daidohead]

The eggs and a steady air temp will be the same, unless exposed to a radiant heat source. If memory serves you have a fan and a heat shield so you should be fine. How long did you allow your wiggler to warm up ?

 

[8wishbonechicks]

That is a good question. We are trying to stabilize our home made incubator and I was wondering about that too. I've read the eggs become the temperature of it's environment. With that said wouldn't the eggs internal temperature be 99.5 if your incubator is 99.5? I hope someone can shine some light on this subject for the both of us.

 

[8wishbonechicks]

Thank you, Daidohead for helping us. I have a computer fan going and thanks for reminding me of the heat shield.

 

[Penturner]

I have been toying around with the heat in my incubator for the last week or so. Measuring temps of various areas and such. My gut says that if you did not get the incubator to a stable temperature for around 12 hours you will not know what temperature the wiggler is actually going to get to. the objects int he incubator lag well behind the air temperature. Also the air temp at least does not simply rise. it seems to over shoot then fall back down then rise again for several hours before it settles in. I suspect this is partially do to the entire incubator having to warm up and level out but am not completely sure. I would also like to point out that although you claim to not be able to find the information to measure temperature from inside a false egg. I would point out that in fact you did. you found it here. I do suspect you can do just fine without it though. Temperature reading may not be as radical though saving you a few episodes of anxiety. You mention you cannot get 99.5 in a wiggler unless your air temp is almost 102. is your incubator still or forced air? if it is forced air are you sure you are getting good circulation?

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Nope, you don't have to monitor the internal temperature of the egg. Measure your temperature at the top of the eggs and go by that temperature for either forced air (99.5F) or still air (101.5F). If you go by these temperatures then the internal temperature of the egg *will be very very close to 99.5F*. The reason for the still air using a reading of 101.5F or whatever at egg top is that the heat will stratify in the incubator with the temperature getting lower the lower down in the incubator you measure. It's cooler at middle of egg height than it is at egg top...in a still air incubator. In a forced air the air is all stirred up and the temp is pretty well equalized throughout.

You say you are measuring air temp and internal wiggler temp and there is a difference. If you're measuring the wiggler temp and air temp at the same time then you must be using two thermometers or at least two different sensors. Have you compared these thermometers/sensors to each other by taking an air temp reading inside the incubator at the same time with both of them at the same height and in close proximity to each other?

If both thermometers have the same calibration then if you leave the wiggler in an air temp of 102 or higher then the wiggler will gradually come up to that (102 or higher) temperature....there is no way that it could stay cooler. So yes, the internal temperature of the wiggler/egg will stabilize at it's environmental temperature. The reason to use a wiggler is that it will give a consistent, stable reading even when the incubator has been opened and some heated air has been loss....the wiggler might cool just a tad as the air temp comes back up to the set temperature but it will give you a more real picture of the temperature of your eggs rather that the temperature of the air. So....how bad of a job did I do trying to explain that ???

Best wishes on your hatch!
Ed

 

[babsbag]

I let my wiggler go all night. The air temp was 102 and the wiggler was only 98.4. I moved the thermometer, thinking that it was too close, even with the shield, and I still get similar results. I put two temps in the wiggler and they both read the same. One is a Walmart one and one is a cooking one from Sharper Image, so I decided that the internal temp of the wiggler was true as registered.

So then I looked at what was registering the air temp. On the off chance that both the digital therms from Walmart were bad ( but yet the same) I put another digital in there, one we have been using for a while in our house. It seems to be pretty right on compared with our house heater themostat. It registered the same as the 2 therms from Walmart. So I have to think that my temps are being read correctly.

I can keep the temp stable, I just don't know which one I should use.

Maybe I need to get another fan?

 

[babsbag]

Ed, you explained that very well.

This reminds me of helping my boys with Science Fair projects

Have to find all the variables to know that your results are correct.

I have a thermometer with an inernal and external temp, the external being with a probe. I have not put them in the same area of the incubator to see if they read the same. What a brilliant idea. I will be back.

 

[milleryardchx]

With a still air the temp needs to be a tad higher than if you have a fan. I have a still air LG and i have to have temp at 101 to have hatches on time day 21 if i have it at 99.5 (like i did my first few hatches) I wont get hatches till day 24 or 25.

 

[babsbag]

So I checked my thermometer.

The sensor for "outside" temp ( I had it in the Wiggler) and the sensor for the inside temp (I had it measuring air temp inside incubator) are within .5 of each other. I have one other thermometer in the incubator measuring air temp and it registers the same as the others. I put it in different areas of the incubator, close to the fan and light, and then in the farthest corner, the temps are within .5 so I guess that may air circulation isn't perfect, but not horrid either. I think I am going to set and forget. I have the thermometer at the same level as the eggs. I am not going to put the water wiggler back in there. BUT I AM going to look for a good thermometer that I know I can trust. I wish there was a place to buy one local, NOW. I hate to order things and have to wait for them.

I understand that the wiggler should register the same as the air, and I don't know what it didn't. The only can I can figure is that the sensor on the cheap thermometer needs air around it register and it didn't like being smotherd in the pillow of water.

I never thought it would be so hard to have a thermometer I could trust. Tomorrow I am going to check the pet store and see what they have.