Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[CluckNDoodle]

ok. I read good things about these thermometer/hygrometers but maybe they aren't working right. I still have the NR360 set at 100.5. One thermometer reads 100 the other 2 are high 97's. I can see how different spots read different but that much? and earlier as I said 2 were higher and 1 was lower.......

What thermometer/hygrometer should I get? I really don't want to screw up my first hatch because of bad readings.......

Regardless of what type of thermometer you're using you'll want to calibrate them or it's no different than using the incubator thermometer. I use cheap digital thermometers but I calibrate all of them against a small meat thermometer. I can submerge it in water and manually calibrate it to check against the others. Also depending on how low the thermometers are the temps will be lower. I always set mine on top of the turner but as mentioned recently most gauges are at the top of the eggs.

 

[junior67]

Regardless of what type of thermometer you're using you'll want to calibrate them or it's no different than using the incubator thermometer. I use cheap digital thermometers but I calibrate all of them against a small meat thermometer. I can submerge it in water and manually calibrate it to check against the others. Also depending on how low the thermometers are the temps will be lower. I always set mine on top of the turner but as mentioned recently most gauges are at the top of the eggs.

ok maybe I can move them. I don't have any other type of thermometer beside a mouth people one but even that doesn't always seem that accurate. haahaa. so I just left mine out on the counter to see what the temps were and how close next to the one I have for indoor/outdoor for my chicken coop (outdoor part is in the coop, indoor is in the house). what should I get to calibrate them to? And how do I do it? I am a newbie.

Right now i just have them sitting flat in the trays since I only have 11 eggs in there so have the eggs in every other tray and the thermometers in some empty ones.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Can anyone offer some info...? I have 2 NR 360, days 1'18 I kept the humidity at 55 day 18 I raised it to 75 and then day 19 lowered it to 69. This is all based on I do not live in a humid state and this is what the instructions on the NR 360 say... My question is, what is everyone else doing on humidity? Ill also add these were shipped eggs, all eggs had movement at lockdown and theyre upright in opened eggcrates due to saddle shaped air cells. I'm a first timer and I'm afraid I drowed them all as I haven't pipped and don't hear anything on day 20! Advice? Info? Thank you!

I followed the instructions initially and adjusted based on experiences as I hatched more and more. They should be just fine, I had good hatches following instructions too but over time I have found the sweet spot in the NR360 to be 45% for the beginning of incubation and then increasing to around 65% for hatch. You will want to monitor the air cell growth or weight either way and adjust humidity accordingly if the air cell develops too quickly or too slowly. I hope that helps!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I’m trying to clean out the incubator. It says to use a disinfectant (I’m guessing non toxic)

What do you guys use? I want to give these chicks the best chance possible.

I use diluted bleach water to clean mine and then rinse with just water before drying off.

 

[junior67]

I followed the instructions initially and adjusted based on experiences as I hatched more and more. They should be just fine, I had good hatches following instructions too but over time I have found the sweet spot in the NR360 to be 45% for the beginning of incubation and then increasing to around 65% for hatch. You will want to monitor the air cell growth or weight either way and adjust humidity accordingly if the air cell develops too quickly or too slowly. I hope that helps!

I am going to candle so can check air cells but I also weigh all my eggs so have the starting weight (when laid) for each egg too) so how does that work if I weigh them?

 

[junior67]

What thermometers did you get? The cheap amazon ones?

yes cheap amazon ones. a friend used them and said they worked really well for her. it is these ones

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QC7JRDP?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

since I am not planning on hatching much (this may be the only time for a few years) I didn't want to invest too much into it.

 

[SheaLoner]

I picked those up as well. Do you have any other thermometer to check them against? A medical one can work.

 

[junior67]

I picked those up as well. Do you have any other thermometer to check them against? A medical one can work.

I have a digital people one (that goes in your mouth). But not sure I trust that one to be exact either. Lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

ok maybe I can move them. I don't have any other type of thermometer beside a mouth people one but even that doesn't always seem that accurate. haahaa. so I just left mine out on the counter to see what the temps were and how close next to the one I have for indoor/outdoor for my chicken coop (outdoor part is in the coop, indoor is in the house). what should I get to calibrate them to? And how do I do it? I am a newbie.

Right now i just have them sitting flat in the trays since I only have 11 eggs in there so have the eggs in every other tray and the thermometers in some empty ones.

I use this meat thermometer from Walmart, works like a charm and very easy to calibrate by the ice method on the back of the hang tag it comes with or you can follow the instructions in the link below the walmart link. I buy the inexpensive thermometers too, I spend a lot on chicken stuff and I find that I prefer the inexpensive ones because they all seem to break over time no matter what I spend on them so I would rather not spend as much, lol. The meat thermometer is the only one that has never failed me but the digital ones are just a lot easier to use inside the incubator.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Read-Kitchen-Thermometer-Clip-Attachment/787842492

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I am going to candle so can check air cells but I also weigh all my eggs so have the starting weight (when laid) for each egg too) so how does that work if I weigh them?

If you weigh them, eggs should lose 11-13% during first 18 days of incubation. Between 0.6-0.7% per day average but this is not an exact science. When I monitored weight on a 100% hatch rate they lost between 10.25% - 13.15%. I normally monitor air cells because it's just easier and less time consuming for me personally but when you're feeling uncertain weighing does take the question out of what you're looking at.