If it read 30 then it's 2 degrees off to the low so that's scary if the incubator is only reading 92 when the external is reading over a hundred. I don't trust incubator thermometers, especially the lower end incubators. I don't trust any thermometer unless it's been checked- even brand new ones. I would trust the externals before the incubator, but that's your judgement call. The best thing I can suggest is getting a Brinsea Spot check or like thermometer that is guarenteed within tenths of a degree to be accurate. There's too much discrepancies in the ones that you have to be sure which to go with. If you don't do anything and you go by the incubator and you have excellerated growth or no growth (because of extra high temps killing them) you know that the incubator is way off. If you go by the externals and you have delayed development, then you know they are reading too high.
My first incubation, I went to tractor supply to find a thermometer for the incubator (I borrowed it from my sister and it had no working thermometer) and I told the guy that I was looking for a thermometer for my incubator. He says, oh you mean for your brooder. I said No, for my incubator. He says, well all the incubators we sell come with thermometers. -That's nice but they don't all work and they do stop working. You would think they would sell some good independant thermometers along with the crappy incubator ones considering that TSC does not sell any quality bators. I bought a dial type thermometer/hygrometer from the hardwaree store, took it home and stuck it in my bator-never checked it. Kept teh bator between 99-101 the whole incubation. I was pretty sure my eggs looked behind, but was hopeing that it was inexperience. Went into lockdown with 17 eggs with chicks moving around. day 23 I finally got a pip and a hatcher at day 24. One at day 5 that died. That was all. I was told to check my thermometer so I did and it was 6 degrees off- so it was only 93-94ish the entire time. I never would have thought that a brand new thermometer would have been 6 degrees off. After that I started using no less than 2, usually three that coincide and have been checked and I switched to running low humidity incubations and have had nothing but good hatches since. (Knock on wood.
My first incubation, I went to tractor supply to find a thermometer for the incubator (I borrowed it from my sister and it had no working thermometer) and I told the guy that I was looking for a thermometer for my incubator. He says, oh you mean for your brooder. I said No, for my incubator. He says, well all the incubators we sell come with thermometers. -That's nice but they don't all work and they do stop working. You would think they would sell some good independant thermometers along with the crappy incubator ones considering that TSC does not sell any quality bators. I bought a dial type thermometer/hygrometer from the hardwaree store, took it home and stuck it in my bator-never checked it. Kept teh bator between 99-101 the whole incubation. I was pretty sure my eggs looked behind, but was hopeing that it was inexperience. Went into lockdown with 17 eggs with chicks moving around. day 23 I finally got a pip and a hatcher at day 24. One at day 5 that died. That was all. I was told to check my thermometer so I did and it was 6 degrees off- so it was only 93-94ish the entire time. I never would have thought that a brand new thermometer would have been 6 degrees off. After that I started using no less than 2, usually three that coincide and have been checked and I switched to running low humidity incubations and have had nothing but good hatches since. (Knock on wood.) I use my incubator thermometers in my brooder as well. It doesn't matter wether they are sold for brooder or incubator as long as the temps are accurate.
A lot of people use those and recommend them.
Depends on what you have financially. The Hovabators are the better of the low end incubators. The 1588 has good reviews and the 1583 is the same thing w/out the digital controls. The 1583 is the one I am considering. It's about $50 cheaper than the 1588. One of the highest recommended lines is the Brinsea lines, but you pay a lot for half the hatching space. They are for the most part "set em and forget em" bators.
I love my Incuview. It's completely programmable. I have had at least a 90% hatch rate every time. It's incredibly stable, holds the humidity well (only have to add once a day or so). The entire lid is clear, so you can see everything. Very easy to clean. Great customer service, if anything goes wrong in the first year, they will send you replacement parts immediately. It's just as good no matter how many you set. I've set 6 eggs before, and 18, both had great hatch rates. If it's fertile, it will most likely make it to lockdown in the Incuview.
