Do i need a new incubator?

[Rorie]

My friend gifted me a Brinsea Octagon 10. I thought i'd try it out prior to getting eggs, obviously!

I added a digital thermometer with a humidity reader on it.

The incubator states that the temp should be 38.5 degrees C and humidity of 40 - 50%. To get this it suggests adding water to just one of the two pans and blocking one of the two holes.

The trial showed the temperature fluctuated from 34 degrees to 41 degrees. The glass thermometer in the incubator showed a constant 37 degrees C. The humidity varied from 43% and then dropped to 36%.

I tested the new digital thermometer next to a larger more expensive one. The numbers were a little bit out (2 degrees and a couple %) but the trend (going up and down) was the same.

So, how accurate does the temp and humidity need to be in the incubator? are newer ones better at controlling the figures? Do any manage the humidity or is this a manual task?

Thanks!

 

[Rorie]

anybody got suggestions?

 

[Blue EE]

Fill it with the number of eggs or use water bottles to match the volume. Waite 3 or 4 hours between each adjustment and reading and if you cant regulate it in 2 or 3 days then reevaluate your equipment. Placement in the room near air movement, sunlight , open doors or windows, so many things can impact these units. I just was reading all the different threads about the Little Giant incubators like the one I am using. Some people wrap the whole thing in towels to stabilize it. The more you can do to regulate the environment the more money you can save on the type of unit or equipment you need. The best plug and use equipment is the scientific high volume units at $2K each so take some time and take control or spend more money.

This site has so much valuable information. I have searched topics for over a year and just now started posting. I am still finding new things every time I log in. Look up home made incubators and see what others have done.

Hope this helps. I have a hatch occurring right now and the little cheepers are right next to the computer so I will be here a bit today.

 

[Rorie]

Thanks for the reply. I now have stable temp. but not humidity.

I did not think about the volume inside the incubator effecting the humidity. Could you clarify what i should do to simulate the eggs inside? I don't understand about matching the weight loss in the eggs etc that the manual suggests doing.

How do i know how much water/bottles to put in to simulate the eggs?

 

[Blue EE]

I just did a quick search and typed in OCTAGON 10 and there is 68 pages of threads on this unit here on this site. Probably more as apparently they make octagon 20, 40 also. I am not familiar with this unit but put a few small jars of water in there while you are working out the bugs. Read as many posts on octagons as you have time for. Some people have found that sand filled water dishes up the humidity faster than just plain water. If the sand is exposed just a bit it increases the wet surface area and ups humidity. Some people use wash cloths as the terry cloth works good and holds a lot of water.