first day temp bounce?

[jkg]

I built an incubator and tested it out over the last week. After a day or so of adjustment, I got it to the point the temp as measured inside a water wiggle never left the range of around 99.4-99.7 over the course of about 5-6 days. Earlier today I picked up the fertilized eggs and put them in. After about 4-5 hours, now the temperature has bounced up to 100.8. Is this normal? I'm leaving it be for now... if by tomorrow morning the temp is still over 100 I may nudge the thermostat down, but am curious if others have had this experience after loading eggs.

 

[Paganbird]

It's normal to have the temp waver a bit after setting the eggs. Did you move the thermometer to a different place in the 'bator when you loaded the eggs? That might have caused a different reading.

 

[countrychics]

yes it is unusual for it to jump up, as putting the eggs in lowers the temp????? may have also been the temp in the room went up..this changes your bator temp alot more than u realize.. best of luck.... and try 2 thermometers..sometimes do read different in different places, also reads different when placed on the top of the eggs than on the bottom surface of the bator.... goodluck.. you'll do great!

 

[Mahonri]

I have 3 thermometers in my hovabator when its going.

Usually when you add the eggs it goes down.

 

[jkg]

Quote:
That's why I was puzzled. The temp went down initially like you would expect, but then kept building. Over the previous week of testing, it would return to 99.5 every time I opened the lid, added water, monkeyed with thermometers, etc. I was comfortable it was ready as it had proved so stable in my tests. I can understand why the temperature drops and takes awhile to build back up given the addition of eggs and the new thermal load, but I can't figure out why it would now stabilize at a new temperature... the only change was the eggs - didn't touch the thermostat or the location of the thermometer.

 

[Paganbird]

I have a cabinet 'bator. When I "warm it up" I seem to get a difference of about 0.5 degree from before I add the eggs to after. I believe it is due to the placement of the full racks and the thermometers. The full racks deflect the hot air from the fan hitting the thermometer. The hot air goes right toward the metal temp gauge when the racks are full.
Depending on the positioning of things in your 'bator... it could happen.
I also use 3 thermometers. 2 mercury & one digital. I put one on each shelf that has eggs in it. The one closest to the front of the 'bator always reads a bit higher... no matter which thermometer it is. I'm assuming that's due to the freshly heated air being directed right onto it. It doesn't read that way before I load the egg trays.
Do you have enough air circulation? That could add to the increased temp, too. Solids (eggs) hold heat more than gasses (air in the bator) so maybe air circulation has something to do with it.
These are all just ideas. Hard to tell what may have caused the temp increase.
Good Luck.

 

[cowman910]

it could just be that the eggs got warmed up and the liquid inside the egg got warmer. It may also be that there is less air in the incubator to convect.