How to tell if thermometer is accurate?

[marathonmultiplesmom]

Ok, first off, I've got a bunch of goose eggs in the incubator. I had major fluctuations with the cheapy thermometer it came with so I discarded it and bought a digital with duo hydrometer + Thermometer. Now, the cheapo plastic one was reading 99is, I put my soap making thermometer in there and it is reading 98ish and the new fancy digi one was reading only 96.2. I don't want to turn it up too high. How do I tell if this digi thermometer is even accurate? UGH so frustrating because I've lost a couple eggs so far. They are not easy to hatch

and I have a limited window of time that my geese will be laying. Oh yeah... this is also a first time for me but I really did a lot of reading on this.

I have a still air incubator. It was a gift, I would have bought one with a fan but I gotta work with what I got now.

 

[yourhighness]

Mercury is more reliable that digital, until you get to the /really/ expensive stuff, as far as I know. I check the temp with this neat little thermometer

I just put it right next to the therm in there and see if it's close

But... I trust the mercury/alcohol over the digital.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Does it have a probe? If it does put it in a cup of warm water with a medical thermometer as see how close they are... Dont have a medical thermometer? Stick the probe under your tung an see what it reads. Try 2 or 3 people.