Help with homemade incubator, please

[Cherlyn]

I just made an incubator and cannot seem to regulate the temp, even with the thermostat. The thermostat kicks the lightbulb on, and gets the temp up to about 105 and then when the light goes off the temp plummets down to about 84. Then the light kicks back on a few mins later and the temp shoots right back to 105 or so. How do I keep the temp right at 100?

~Cherlyn

 

[Chickfever]

Are you using a water wiggler to gauge your temp?

 

[Cherlyn]

Nope, using the sensor that came with the thermostat, and a separate thermometer off to the side. Perhaps the thermometer that I see is incorrect.

~Cherlyn

 

[Chickfever]

From what I can recollect, you should go by the temp in a water wiggler (if you can get one). Temp inside the incubator will fluctuate (did so more with my homemade one than with my little giant) but the temp inside the egg won't be so drastic and bouncy. The water wiggler will mimic the egg.

I hope this makes sense.....

I haven't incubated all year.....I let some hens do it this year but incubated constantly the past 2 years.

 

[Cherlyn]

Quote:
Not sure where I can get one here in England. Can I make one? Or perhaps take the temperature in a plate of water? Hmmm...

~Cherlyn

 

[mulia24]

hmm, after learn mistakes for 5 days and some trying, I could set my incubator made by triplex not styrofoam keep stable with only fluctuating 1-2 degrees in celcius without any thermostat even when using electric lamp or kerosene lamp (i live in power failure country). I don't know why your bator work like that. oh ya, I just open and close or set wider or narrower the door to keep my temp stable.