Hovabators/Little Giants and temperature adjustment

[ChickenCanoe]

Accu-rites specs are that they're accurate to ± 2 F. So if it reads 99, it could be anywhere from 97 and 101. That's if they meet the specs. Most thermometers I've seen can be much farther than that, even ones I bought from incubator companies.
The thermoworks one is accurate to ±0.9°F and it can be calibrated to tighter range.

 

[magdelaine]

Accu-rites specs are that they're accurate to ± 2 F. So if it reads 99, it could be anywhere from 97 and 101. That's if they meet the specs. Most thermometers I've seen can be much farther than that, even ones I bought from incubator companies.
The thermoworks one is accurate to ±0.9°F and it can be calibrated to tighter range.

I'm going to show that one to my husband. He's got a background in science and he was looking at calibrated thermometers last night. He also said that a differential of plus or minus 2 degrees F was too great.

 

[hoopy blues]

after reading all of this i checked my thermometer against my home thermostat that is all i have to check it aginst the accu-rite was 2 degress lower.maybe i just got lucky but now i really dont now whether to set my pure english eggs or not.Last years egg were plain orpingtons.You know how it goes some thing you really wont real bad allways misses up.Please tell me where i can get a thermoworks thermometer to go with mine.I will have a good setting of pure english orpington egg in about 4 days i really would hat to take a chance i might not get lucky the third time.Better safe than sorry.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The home thermostats aren't that accurate either. Better to use an oral thermometer. They're accurate and the right temperature range for hatching eggs.

http://www.thermoworks.com/
Look for ones with an accuracy under 1F.

 

[hoopy blues]

The incubator and themometer that i am useing belongs to my grandson he used it in 2013 had about 80%hatching out of it every time.I think i will set my english orp. eggs anyway they may not be fertile any way they are young this is the first eggs but i am going to get a new thermometer asap to be on the safe side.this incubator has a electronic thermostat insted off a waffer that might make a difference in temp.changeing but i dont now.We have had good hatchings out of it.

 

[magdelaine]

Well, I candled and at least a few are developing, so I know I didn't kill all of them with heat at least. I am STILL adjusting the heat down every 12 hours or so and I set them 6 days ago. Ameraucana eggs are hard to candle, darn it! At least I know what they look like "empty" so if they are dark/filled in a week I'll know the difference. So. hard. to. wait.

 

[magdelaine]

Well, it happened. A huge temp spike over night...at least 5 degrees over what I thought was 100. I think it killed everything. I guess I just wait and candle again in a few days? I saw living embryos last night but I have a hard time believing they could survive what happened. I'm so disgusted and upset...it took a lot of planning and money to get those eggs.

I think the wafer thermostat needs to be replaced. There is no reason why it should have spiked like that, or why it keeps going up up up every day.

 

[hoopy blues]

When i used to raise game chickens i had a gqf cabinet type it had 2 waffers in it i replaced them every year before starting up.i belive that could be a lot of you trouble.after you decide about these eggs look into a electronic thermostst if you stay with the waffer it would be wise to change the thermostat switch then you know you are starting out with new heat controls.the switch has a little button that pushs in and out to cut heating element on an off a tiny peace of dirt or dust could hang it up.I wish you the best of luck

 

[magdelaine]

When i used to raise game chickens i had a gqf cabinet type it had 2 waffers in it i replaced them every year before starting up.i belive that could be a lot of you trouble.after you decide about these eggs look into a electronic thermostst if you stay with the waffer it would be wise to change the thermostat switch then you know you are starting out with new heat controls.the switch has a little button that pushs in and out to cut heating element on an off a tiny peace of dirt or dust could hang it up.I wish you the best of luck

Thank you hoopy! That is actually a good thing to know...changing out the wafers is easy enough. My husband picked up a thermostat like this one, is this what you mean? Can I add this to a hovabator?



Unfortunately, I chose the wrong thermometer to calibrate the incubators, both of them, with. So I think that the heat was too high from the get-go in the Hovabator and most of the eggs died early on. The Reptipro had embryos start to develop, but because of a small temp spike on Day 3 it went high enough to cause death. When candled, there are blood rings or they are simply clear. I *might* have a couple of eggs still developing...out of four dozen that I traveled quite a distance and paid a lot to get. Oh well. Lesson learned.

 

[hoopy blues]

Im not realy sure.I have a little giant the thrmostat is inclosed in a plastic houseing it is 21/2inc. wide 4 3/4 long.Check with MILL MFG.CO.INC that is the only writeing on it.I set 19 eggs in mine today i hope every thing goes ok.I watch it until it reached 99deg.then it would come on an go off about every 15-20 sec.When you make adjustments barly move it a little at the time.I will check some of my books to see if i can find a electronic thermostat.