Anyone else want to stomp on their incubator?

[Germaine_11.20]

Ahhhh,

I have 3 Genesis Hovabators all basically new.
The company tells you to trust the temperature that is manually fixed into it. Hatch out a batch of chicks and see what happens before trying to adjust it they say.
Well stupid me did just that. I am very lucky that the chicks hatched out (and fine considering they were 2 days early).
So I decided to see what the temperature really was.
I gathered every thermometer in the house and stuck them in.
Then I read a post that said to use a plain ol oral thermometer.
I WANT TO THANK THAT PERSON!! All the other ones varied quite a bit, but I trust the oral. And it said 102! No wonder the chicks hatched out 2 days early.
And all the hova bator ran hot. So I have been sitting here for hours trying to regulate them. One of the instructions run backwards from the other incubator.
I am getting them done, with much frustration. So a big word of warning. Check your temperatures with several different thermometers to get it right, don't just trust the manufacturer.

 

[PurpleChicken]

You are learning from experience the joys of incubators.

Are you sure the thermometer is correct? Did you check it in all 3?
Were they empty? You should put a few bottles of water in a bator
and set the temp over a few days. What kind of environment are they
in?

Lots of variables and detail to take care of.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

The oral thermometers come the closest when put in together in the incubators so I am trusting them.
The thermometers that came with the baters are over 2 degrees apart from each other and in the same bater. I put my house thermometer and my candy thermometers (which did not work by the way) in them along with my two temp/hygrometers I bought for the incubators.
Quite a sight. I am aiming for an even 100 to give or take a bit. But I can't believe that they were all running that warm and the company told me to just hatch out a batch before adjusting.
And I don't know why I did not think of an oral thermometer. The ones I have are very precise. And it works great.
I got suspicious when the chicks hatched out early so I posted and watched other posts and people kept advising that the bater was probably too warm. Yep, uh huh.

 

[PurpleChicken]

An early hatch is a sign of high heat. My Genesis ran around 101 when
using an oral thermometer and anywhere from 99 to 101.5 depending
on height and type of thermo.

I'd shoot for 100.5 at egg top.

Don't smash them either. You'll only feel dumb and have to replace them.
Trust me, I know.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Tell me you didn't really smash yours? I am having visuals of doing it but they cost too much!

I do appreciate the input and moral support. I am still trying to get the third one right. This isn't a fun part of incubating.

 

[PurpleChicken]

no, didn't smash mine but thought about it, especially at first.

You got the right attitude. This is the fun of incubating.

One of the reasons I like the Hovas and LGs so much is that they
force the user to get to know the ins and outs of incubating.
We learn by doing.

 

[shawnkfl]

i purposely ran mine at 102* because that's what everyone kept telling me to do. everything i hatched was 2-3 days early. now it's set at 100.5

 

[Oklahoma Lightning]

I am about to give up on hitching turkey eggs. I hitch shipped chicken eggs with a 90 per cent hitch but turkey eggs are killing me.
I think it just my Sportman.

 

[JenEric Farms]

100 for Forced Air

102 for Still Air

Temp at top of eggs

 

[Oklahoma Lightning]

My girlfriend left a Hova=bator with me and if it was mine it be in pieces for sure. I can't keep the temputre in one place two days in a roll.