Homemade Egg-o-Meter Works!

[speckledhen]

Decided after seeing the new Egg-o-Meter thermometer, a water weasel simulator type, I decided that I would try to make my own. Used a plastic egg, filled with silicone (smell has dissipated as it cured) and one of my AcuRite probe thermometers. Drilled a hole in the aircell end of the plastic egg, added the probe, filled with silicone and sealed up the egg. Just tested it. Put probe from my best AcuRite in the water weasel and the probe from my other one in my homemade Egg-o-Meter. The probes have always read very close to each other on those two units.
Placed them close to each other in my Hovabator (not the one with eggs in it) and waited. The water weasel consistently reads 3/10 of a degree higher than my homemade Egg-o-Meter, so they are very close. And this new one can be placed right in one of the turner slots just like any egg would be. There is no silicone smell in the bator, which was my concern, the fumes from it as it cured, but I wouldnt put it in with actual eggs till it had no smell.

 

[Laney]

That looks awesome. And you could choose your favorite color egg! What kind of silicone did you use? Was it a silicone caulk?

Laney

 

[speckledhen]

It is 100% silicone, not siliconized caulk.

 

[eggsrcool]

Looks good

 

[mulia24]

great.

real:

but it won't be able to match 100% with real egg, i believe the silicone can't vaporize like egg *white part*, so the air sack won't grow bigger.

and plastic don't contain any calcium like egg shell, and of course don't have any similarity at all with egg shell, except its shape.

silicone won't be able to *absorb* heat and pretend be an egg and show egg real temp.

as i know (physics lesson), temp of an egg is affected by *room*(in this case, bator) temp, when we put an egg inside bator, slowly heat will move from bator to the egg and *cool* will *move* from egg to the air(also carton/whatever thing you place the egg in) so air will be the place where egg and heat source find a balance, when balance acquired, the egg and bator/air will have exactly same temp and unfortunately we need ventilation and that's the thing that make the bator can't hold *exact* temp or balance.

joke:

it won't have any vein when you candle on it.

it won't hatched, trust me.

sorry cyn, not going to offend, just let everything clear.

and that's very great device.

 

[speckledhen]

I know it isn't perfect, but I think the shape, being better than the water weasel, more "egg-like" will do just as well. The contents of the water weasel do not evaporate and it's larger than an egg and a competely different shape. It's just a secondary tool that I've used for years. Doesn't have to evaporate water like an egg does to work well--as the egg develops and fills with chick, that chick is denser than the egg white that surrounds it and I'd say the silicone will do fine in simulating that, better than water in a water weasel, even.

The commercial Egg-o-Meter is made of some type of silicone or plastic, though I do not know for sure what is inside it. It has a very tight accuracy rating, they say. Here is the one being marketed right now.

· Thermometer reads both the egg temperature and the temp inside the room where your incubator is located

· Sensor is attached to a 10' wire so you can mount the thermometer in a location convenient for you

· Comes with a mounting screw and a mounting anchor (see picture)

· Temperature reading is precise down to a 1/10 of a degree (0.1 degree)

· You can select it to display in F or C

· You can select it to display egg temp or room temp

· It has a min and max memory feature to gauge the total temperature range

· Sleek, modern thermometer design

· Requires one AAA battery (not included)

In case you are not familiar with the water weasel, here's a pic of one from the Shilala's website (they sell them, though you can buy cheaper ones at dollar stores).

 

[mulia24]

thank you for the information. honestly this is my first time know people build something looks like egg to *similar* the egg to know *exact* egg temp.

i'd like to have one.

hope yours will done better cyn.

thank you to let me know, boosting my knowledge.

 

[speckledhen]

Since I bought a super accurate incubator thermometer and really am tired of trying to find a good location in a full bator for the water weasel, I decided to try this with one of my AcuRites. I'll use in in my next hatch and see how things go, which starts next week.

 

[bigdawg]

i have a egg-o-meter and it is running two degress cooler than my cheap walmart thermometer and the one that came with my hova bator, did i waste my money again or are my two other thermometers that are reading the same be wrong. i have o eggs in there just trying to get it ready. i think iam i going to throw all of them out and get a spot check that cynthia speaks highly of. (sorry if i spelled your name wrong) also does your fan in your bator run all the time or just when its heating. thanks...............

 

[gumpsgirl]

This is interesting Cyn! I'm going to have to try and make one for myself. If I do it now, it should be good to go by next spring.