Help please!!!

[wjallen05]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Okay... the thermometer that came with my incubator was reading just under 100 degrees (I'm aiming for 99.5) and all was fine and dandy until today when I bought a digital therm w/ humidity reader. The digital therm is reading 102 and the "regular" therm is reading 97-98 (I turned the temp down some) what the heck?! Which one do I go by? Also, the humidy went from 45-50 to now it's at 35.

I have the moister rings full to the stop, I did have one plug open, but now they're both closed.
Help me please this is my first hatch

 

[william9792]

what day are you on ? what kind of bator do you have?

 

[wjallen05]

This is the incubator that I have... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=270333266573

I just put the eggs in yesterday

 

[Buster]

I'd worry a lot more about temps being too high than too low. In the 90's you'll still get a hatch. Over 100, you'll fry them. I'm not sure which thermometer you should go off of though.

 

[minna]

Not necessarily over 100 you will fry them I know lots of ppl who incubate at 101.5 religiously. But yes, I would prefer to be a few degrees too low, then too high. I don't know which one to trust, this conversation has taken place multiple times, I guess you just have to pick one. I usually try to get an average of the two. I'm still looking for the correct answer to "which one do I trust?"

 

[william9792]

to make sure how close the one that came with the bator is just fill up a cup full of ice and then fill with water and in ten minutes with thermometer in cup it should read 32 deg, then that should tell you which one to use and you will know how far it is off. william

 

[jaybme]

All of my hatches the last two years had incorrect temperatures- the thermometers were built in digital and I just assumed they were fine.

I finally checked them with another thermometer, and then two more thermometers! One incubator was running at 97 and the other 102!

I had 75 % hatches anyway, so I think the temps were fluctuating, though my checks did not see any changes.

Another, cheap incubator I borrowed fluctuated wildly with room temps, and some days I would find the temp up to 103 and more.

It was very tiring checking them so often, but the chicks did hatch. I am pretty sure they developed too quickly in the heat, and had some bent feet and odd behaviors due to it, but they hatched!

You may be fine- just get another thermometer and take the average.
Cooler is better, if you have to choose by a degree or so...

Good luck!

 

[Farm Frenzy]

I'd definitely go with the digital one.

 

[wjallen05]

to make sure how close the one that came with the bator is just fill up a cup full of ice and then fill with water and in ten minutes with thermometer in cup it should read 32 deg, then that should tell you which one to use and you will know how far it is off.

great idea, thanks!

And thank you to everyone else for your input, I appriciate it very much!!​

 

[moduckman]

Quote:
Over 105 is my "worry temperature". Still, I've had mine go that high after getting home from work. I thought all was lost, but I still hatched several out. With the styrofoam bators I like 100 to 101. That's just me though and I'm no expert. I also prefer the digital thermometers. Mine is an indoor/outdoor from Wal-Mart, set on outdoors with the little thermo-wire going through the vent, hanging about the mid point of the eggs.