Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[CluckNDoodle]

I used the one on the NR360 and also a 1500 lumens flashlight.........

Ok these were Delawares, so similar egg color to your Cochins I think. This is what I see with 1300 lumens.

 

[junior67]

Ok these were Delawares, so similar egg color to your Cochins I think. This is what I see with 1300 lumens.

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Thanks. I would say mine looked like day 1 or 2. I can see the shadow of the yolk. on 1 I could see the air sack the other 2 I couldn't even really see that (is that normal??) I only checked 3 of them today.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks. I would say mine looked like day 1 or 2. I can see the shadow of the yolk. on 1 I could see the air sack the other 2 I couldn't even really see that (is that normal??) I only checked 3 of them today.

Initially, yes, it can be really hard to see some air cells. They will become more visible after a few days.

 

[junior67]

Initially, yes, it can be really hard to see some air cells. They will become more visible after a few days.

Wondering if the new thermometer is right and ave temp is 98-99 so slow to develop?? This is so stressful. Lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Wondering if the new thermometer is right and ave temp is 98-99 so slow to develop?? This is so stressful. Lol

Deep breath, nothing to stress about! Even if this batch isn't fertilized you can always try again later!
Even when temps are lower for short periods, the embryo will still develop so it's unlikely from that since you're normally seeing higher temps.

Think of it this way, a broody hen will sometimes get up for 10-20 minutes to eat, drink, potty, dust bathe, while sitting on eggs so nature accounts for periods of cooling. While she's on the eggs, those that are covered the best will be around 99.5 F but it's not an exact science under a hen either. She will shuffle the eggs around, etc. We're just trying to emulate nature in a little plastic box, lol.

When I had a broody hen sitting on eggs through the hottest month of the year here in Georgia it was in the 90s and sometimes over 100 outside. I observed this hen dust bathing in moist sand daily in the afternoon. I think it was part of her regimen to regulate her body temperature. Anyway, this is all speculation but that's what it seemed to be!

It's midnight here so I think I'm starting to ramble, lol. Overall, our goal is a nice consistent 99.5 F but fluctuations are normal!

 

[junior67]

Deep breath, nothing to stress about! Even if this batch isn't fertilized you can always try again later!
Even when temps are lower for short periods, the embryo will still develop so it's unlikely from that since you're normally seeing higher temps.

Think of it this way, a broody hen will sometimes get up for 10-20 minutes to eat, drink, potty, dust bathe, while sitting on eggs so nature accounts for periods of cooling. While she's on the eggs, those that are covered the best will be around 99.5 F but it's not an exact science under a hen either. She will shuffle the eggs around, etc. We're just trying to emulate nature in a little plastic box, lol.

When I had a broody hen sitting on eggs through the hottest month of the year here in Georgia it was in the 90s and sometimes over 100 outside. I observed this hen dust bathing in moist sand daily in the afternoon. I think it was part of her regimen to regulate her body temperature. Anyway, this is all speculation but that's what it seemed to be!

It's midnight here so I think I'm starting to ramble, lol. Overall, our goal is a nice consistent 99.5 F but fluctuations are normal!

I get that but according to my new thermometer from when I dropped the temp at 430pm yesterday the average temp has been 98.3. from midnight and still now, 630am, the highest it has been was at midnight was 98.7 stayed well under that till 345 am then went up to 98.3. now bouncing between 98.3-98.7. which makes no sense since my house temp hasn't changed. I wrapped a towel around the base to middle of it last night too.

But then in the day it only holds around 98-99.6 when set at 100.5 but if I bump it up .5. It goes up to 101.4. Thinking maybe the thermometer?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I get that but according to my new thermometer from when I dropped the temp at 430pm yesterday the average temp has been 98.3. from midnight and still now, 630am, the highest it has been was at midnight was 98.7 stayed well under that till 345 am then went up to 98.3. now bouncing between 98.3-98.7. which makes no sense since my house temp hasn't changed. I wrapped a towel around the base to middle of it last night too.

But then in the day it only holds around 98-99.6 when set at 100.5 but if I bump it up .5. It goes up to 101.4. Thinking maybe the thermometer?

Well, that's really weird...do you have a basic meat thermometer that you could check both the new thermometer and the incubator against? Though not the most convenient for use in the incubator, it's perfect for calibrating other thermometers against. It has definitely been the most reliable thermometer I've ever used.

 

[junior67]

Well, that's really weird...do you have a basic meat thermometer that you could check both the new thermometer and the incubator against? Though not the most convenient for use in the incubator, it's perfect for calibrating other thermometers against. It has definitely been the most reliable thermometer I've ever used.

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I got that one to calibrate my other thermometers that are in there but again hard to do that. Putting it in the vent hole of my incubator it read 110* which I knew wasn't right. Leaving it on the counter together with 1 that was in the incubator said 1 was right, then I did the next that it showed it reads 1* higher. Ok. So in the incubator those go and they basically read the same temp. Lol. But those ones showed 99ish this morning so a good temp. They normally show 99-100 maybe dip to 98.7

But that is why I got the govee was the issues checking those against the meat one. And now this. Think I need to give up watching the thermometers. Lol. I have bought 5 thermometers and spent a total of almost $50 on them. Ugh

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I got that one to calibrate my other thermometers that are in there but again hard to do that. Putting it in the vent hole of my incubator it read 110* which I knew wasn't right. Leaving it on the counter together with 1 that was in the incubator said 1 was right, then I did the next that it showed it reads 1* higher. Ok. So in the incubator those go and they basically read the same temp. Lol. But those ones showed 99ish this morning so a good temp. They normally show 99-100 maybe dip to 98.7

But that is why I got the govee was the issues checking those against the meat one. And now this. Think I need to give up watching the thermometers. Lol. I have bought 5 thermometers and spent a total of almost $50 on them. Ugh

I'm sorry for repeating myself so much but did you calibrate the meat thermometer first? In an ice bath or by following instructions online? If the meat thermometer isn't calibrated properly it won't be any use and that goes for any thermometer.

I went through the thermometer battle early in my incubation journey. I had a meltdown over them failing all the time and I bought several. I've now settled on the cheapest ones, that meat thermometer because it can be submerged in water to calibrate properly and multiple of the cheap little rectangle digital thermometers that I check against the meat thermometer. Having several of those makes it really easy to tell when one goes bad.
In all that time and headache with the secondary thermometers, I've had 3 NR360s and I've never needed to alter the temperature on any of them in 3 years.

 

[junior67]

I'm sorry for repeating myself so much but did you calibrate the meat thermometer first? In an ice bath or by following instructions online? If the meat thermometer isn't calibrated properly it won't be any use and that goes for any thermometer.

I went through the thermometer battle early in my incubation journey. I had a meltdown over them failing all the time and I bought several. I've now settled on the cheapest ones, that meat thermometer because it can be submerged in water to calibrate properly and multiple of the cheap little rectangle digital thermometers that I check against the meat thermometer. Having several of those makes it really easy to tell when one goes bad.
In all that time and headache with the secondary thermometers, I've had 3 NR360s and I've never needed to alter there temperature on any of them in 3 years.

Yes I did the ice bath. But I used ice cubes since I didn't have crushed. That is when it showed my cheap rectangle ones were 1. Right on, 2. A degree off, 3 was 2* off but one was messing up from the beginning.

After I checked those was when I put the tip of the meat one in the vent hole and it read 110* in the incubator...... So then did the boil water test and it went to max not 212 ( boil point here is 211.8).. so that was when I had no clue.

But this morning before I left the cheapie rectangle ones said 99.7 and 100.1 (then the way off one was 97.9 or something. The govee was still saying 98.7. So thinking maybe other 2 are right.

To calibrate the govee it says to put in a plastic bag and put that in the ice bath. It had to sit in it longer due to the bag so maybe I calibrated it wrong? Lowest I got it to was 32.5 so I lowered it that .5 since you can adjust it, but maybe I had it in too long to make up for the bag?