Help! All 5 of my incubator tools are reading differently.

[vtpoultrymama]

Hey all! I recently lost an incubator of turkey eggs, due to my hydrometer not working properly. I started over with a different incubator and new meters, with brand new batteries. I've been relying on my actual built in incubator readings, because they all say something different. I'm so nervous I'll lose this hatch of eggs. My incubator itself is reading a perfect 37.5 Celsius and 52% humidity (photo attached). I have two other little black egg meters, that are reading 93.2/85% and 100.9/67%. Then I got another new one today and added it, hoping it would match my incubator one, but it reads 100degrees and 66% humidity. What should I trust??

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I had something like that happen to me too. I just went with my incubator and everything hatched good! hope this helps

 

[vtpoultrymama]

I had something like that happen to me too. I just went with my incubator and everything hatched good! hope this helps

Okay, thanks so much! I used a different older style foam incubator for my last batch of turkeys, with ONLY one meter (one of the little black ones from the pet store) and all my turkeys died in the eggs, fully developed, so I'm really nervous about this bunch.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I wouldn't worry too much about the humidity level so long as they are between 40-65 percent or thereabout. I'm more worried about the temperature but it looks like they are pretty close apart from the one that reads 93.2 in which case I would surmise that it's the faulty one among the bunch and disregard it's readings in both temp and humidity.

 

[rotagen]

Have to agree with the previous posters. Humidity I wouldn't worry about too much, in fact I do the dry hatching method because like many others I have had the best results with it. And I live in a very dry area. Basically I might add a tablespoon of water to the incubator per day for first 5 or so days, or None if there's a lot of eggs in there, then nothing until lockdown, then I add about a half cup (not precisely) every day until hatch, without measuring humidity at any point. This always gives over 90 percent hatch rate IF (BIG IF) ...the eggs are all fertile. (ebay....sigh...).

People worry too much about the process.. in my experience if the eggs are good...and you're not way off on temp (decent incubator will give accurate enough temps)...you will have success. In fact my recent hatch I kept changing my mind on the last couple late hatcher eggs...turned the incubator off for over 24 hours TWICE...then said what the heck turned it back on with no water and they both hatched the next day..noisy peepers.

The thermo I trust most is my laboratory type glass tube thermometer, about a foot long...the durn things only read celsius...got from amazon...I do an initial reading after firing up incubator..about where the eggs will be...shoot for 37.8 celsius or thereabouts and I'm done. I do heartily recommend the magicfly 24 egg incubator...seller of eggs had hatch date off and they started 5 days early, hatched with egg turner on no problem (slow turner)...woops...but great hatch rate. this hygrometer i bought because supposerdly very accurate...and cheap...calibrated in container with salt and teaspoon or so water (salt mush) for 3 hours...was just 3 percent off....temp was just a bit low so I go with lab thermo...but the magic fly I just trust because a local semi-pro uses it...no hygrometer but fantastic results and easy to clean.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HDW58GS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Ruby Rogue]

If you really wanna know what your temps are, get a few calibrated $3 aquarium thermometers from Wal-Mart.

 

[vtpoultrymama]

I wouldn't worry too much about the humidity level so long as they are between 40-65 percent or thereabout. I'm more worried about the temperature but it looks like they are pretty close apart from the one that reads 93.2 in which case I would surmise that it's the faulty one among the bunch and disregard it's readings in both temp and humidity.

Thanks, I just took that one out!

 

[vtpoultrymama]

Okay, so I now have all 3 thermometer readings pretty much the same. They're all 99.5-101. However, my built in incubator humidity meter reads 45% and my other meters are all around 65%. I'm thinking the 65% is more correct, since it's on multiple different meters. Is this too high?? I'm only on day 7, so I'm really nervous it's too high. If I try to remove the little bit of water in there and it brings my built in incubator reading below 45%, the alarm will sound constantly. What should I do?

 

[Ruby Rogue]

I don't know what to do about the alarm, but you probably don't need any water in there at all for now.