fluctuating temp in styrofoam bator

[JennH07]

My husband made me a styrofoam incubator and it fluctuates from 102 to 96 degrees. The person I got the specs form to make the bator said that it will fluctuate and to fill a kiddie cup with a lid with warm water and put a thermometer in there, this will mimic the inside of the egg. The temp on this should be 99.5. I have done this and my temp on the cup has stayed at 99.5 for days now.

 

[ChooksChick]

Take a look at the incubation cheater in my signature. It'll help you understand some of the fluctuations. I never trust a digital thermometer and always use many. I also never adjust my thermometer more than once in 24 hours.

Hope it helps!

 

[bburn]

Quote:
This is the way I am going on the rest of my hatch. I am at day 10. I picked up two thermometers while I was in town. I am leaving the two I got with my incubator and turner in there with them. Just for comparison. Now, the other three I have bought since this started are outta there!

And.....the hydrometer that I never could figure out and would go up to 111 when everything else was 99.5 and 100. Go figure!

AND I am going to follow the recommended paper towel thing......and most of all I am going to stop stressing over this! Eggs have hatched for millions of years without me!

 

[biddybird]

The nature of most styrobators is that they can not hold stable temperature or/and humidity, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands posts on this forum to attest that notion.

So if you want good hatches, AND you want to sleep at night instead of watching your Little Giant or else for deadly spikes.....

( By one of the Murfey's laws those spikes happen at night killing your hatch)

free yourself from styrobators, that will be good for your future hatches and your health.

I agree totally with you! I do however know plenty of people who love their styrobators and are happy as can be. I think it depends on the type of person you are. I worried with both of mine all the time. Temp never the same and humidity always up and down. My hatches were good but I found them to be way to stressful. My DH bought me a digital sportsman GQF and I am in love. My hatch rate is at least 95% and I have had quite a few 100%. I also have surprise chicks from my double yolk hen hatch with no problem. The GQF was expensive but I have recooped my cost in two months selling chicks on CL.​

 

[zekii]

Quote:
You will also find that the temps are different at different levels and areas of the incubator even with a fan.
I noticed this the last time I incubated which probably contributed to my bad hatch rate.

 

[Inkheart]

Dont worry about the stryo foam - i did my first hatch of shipped eggs and i found that the temp in the room is the key to consistent temps. A draft free - room where sun doesnt beat down - the minute i worked with room temp - dead on and stayed that way

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
I agree totally with you! I do however know plenty of people who love their styrobators and are happy as can be. I think it depends on the type of person you are. I worried with both of mine all the time. Temp never the same and humidity always up and down. My hatches were good but I found them to be way to stressful. My DH bought me a digital sportsman GQF and I am in love. My hatch rate is at least 95% and I have had quite a few 100%. I also have surprise chicks from my double yolk hen hatch with no problem. The GQF was expensive but I have recooped my cost in two months selling chicks on CL.

Some people on this board feel offended when somebody puts down their styrobators, but somhow they always make this disclaimer:

"MY STYROFOAM INCUBATOR PERFORMS GREAT IF IT IS PLACED IN STABLE EBVIRONMENT" meaning stable room temperature.

LOL

My friends this is not a real life isituation iin most cases,

If one has stable room temperature why use a thermostat in the first place??

You can use a carton box with the lightbulb in it and if you play around with it you will hatch chicks.

The real test for "quality" incubator is whether or not it can keep stable temperature within about 5-10 F of the daily average room swings.

Cause this is the reality of most cases until you never open your windows and run AC/Heat 24/day 365 a year.

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
According to your your "incubator cheater" you hatched "hundreds of thousands of chicks"

You mean you hatched "hundreds of thousands of chicks" in your Hovabator or LG whatever your picture shows?

LOL


100 000 chicks divided by 42 eggs assuming 100% hatch rate equals 2380 hatches on one month base.

2380 monthly hatches equals 198 years.


Very impressive.

 

[youngbiddy]

Quote:
According to your your "incubator cheater" you hatched "hundreds of thousands of chicks"

You mean you hatched "hundreds of thousands of chicks" in your Hovabator or LG whatever your picture shows?

LOL


100 000 chicks divided by 42 eggs assuming 100% hatch rate equals 2380 hatches on one month base.

2380 monthly hatches equals 198 years.


Very impressive.

Her page says "hundreds or thousands", actually. Perhaps you should read more carefully before sneering.

 

[Tucket Chic]

I am new to this incubation thing. I am doing it with my daughter as a homeschool project. We made our incubator out of a styrofoam cooler and it just spiked to 104 hopefully for less than an hour. Do I need to start over?

I just set the eggs this afternoon.