Can I use an infrared thermometer on the egg?

[Love Ducklings]

Hi guys! Long-time lurker/ learner! Never really had a reason to post until now. Recently I've been having an issue calibrating my Brinsea Mini Advance incubator. Even with perfectly calibrated thermometers, the temperature seems to fluctuate so much when I'm measuring the top of the incubator vs. bottom vs middle... and also depends how close it is to the eggs. I was wondering if I would get a more accurate read if I take the temperature of the actual eggs. I have an infrared thermometer that my doctor claims is 100% accurate. Usually I aim for 99.5, but what temperature is ideal for the actual egg? TIA!

 

[Love Ducklings]

Forgot to mention that they are duck eggs. Not sure if there's a difference...

 

[BrinseaUS]

I can't answer the question about infrared thermometers (although that is a super interesting idea), but I can tell you that the most accurate place to measure the temperature in a Brinsea is where an egg would be at egg-height. So in a Mini you could put your thermometer in between two eggs at roughly the same height and that is the most accurate spot to read the temp.

 

[Love Ducklings]

Thanks for your reply! I tried that, but the temperature still seems to fluctuate so much with even a quarter of an inch difference in height or proximity to the eggs.

 

[Love Ducklings]

Isn't there a standard temperature that the actual egg needs to be?

 

[BrinseaUS]

Isn't there a standard temperature that the actual egg needs to be?

The temperature of an egg will start out at the incubator air temperature, once it stabilizes after setting. There will be little difference between egg and air until at least half way through incubation but then the metabolic heat from the developing chick will start to show as a small increase above air temperature. I would expect a measurable rise, perhaps 1 or 2 degrees F by the time of pipping. Note that the shell around the air sack (large end) will probably not increase.

This small rise is normal and it would not be appropriate to adjust the incubator temperature setting to try to compensate.

I am surprised to hear that the Mini Advance temperature fluctuates. It is a bit tricky getting reliable readings with an infrared thermometer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Agreed. Infrared thermometers, while accurate are still only accurate to ±2% so that is no better then measuring air or less so than an accurate calibrated thermometer.
Results may be skewed if using an instant read thermometer because most heat elements aren't constantly powered at a set level. Most incubators maintain temperature in a range. That means power is applied if the probe senses temp dropped below that rang. Then the temperature of the heat element rises dramatically till the incubator temperature rises to the high set point. That will make you think temperature is all over the place.
Average incubator air temperature will achieve a certain internal egg temperature which will be more constant.

 

[Feathercrazie]

Agreed. Infrared thermometers, while accurate are still only accurate to ±2% so that is no better then measuring air or less so than an accurate calibrated thermometer.
Results may be skewed if using an instant read thermometer because most heat elements aren't constantly powered at a set level. Most incubators maintain temperature in a range. That means power is applied if the probe senses temp dropped below that rang. Then the temperature of the heat element rises dramatically till the incubator temperature rises to the high set point. That will make you think temperature is all over the place.
Average incubator air temperature will achieve a certain internal egg temperature which will be more constant.

Infrared thermometers are emissivity dependent. The more emissive the surface the closer to the actual temperature it reads, the lower the emissivity of the surface the less accurate the infrared thermometer is. Most infrared thermometers you are able to calibrate the emissivity, but you must know the emissivity of the object. The emissivity of an egg should be close to the emissivity of ceramic.