Inaccurate hydrometer

[tcal]

I went and got a little giant still air, got the temp lined out and started incubating last night. I also bought a digital thermometer/hydrometer from Wal-Mart. I have the moisture ring full of water but the hydrometer is only showing like 24% I don't think it's right. So ling as the ring is full of water, there's really nothing else I can do, is there?

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

the inexpensive thermometer and the combo's aren't very good, if you read the package it says the temp. can be off by 2 degrees or more. you always need to check them with a thermometer that you know is right. I have never used a hydrometer in my small incubators and have never had any problems.

 

[tcal]

I've got 3 thermometers in there counting the combo.

I am just a little nervous about the humidity.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

is this the first time you have run an incubator?

 

[tcal]

Is it that obvious.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Well, the best thing to do is step back, take a deep breath, take out all but one of the thermometers and let nature take it corse. which will be vary hard.

but if you mess with it to much your hatch won't be to good. the hydrometer is only real important if the room your incubator is in is on the dry side. The hardest part of incubating is WAITING.

 

[jvls1942]

from a lot of reading and some ands-on experience I am at the mind set that except for extremely low or high humidity it really does not matter that much except for the last 3 days..

don't worry yourself sick over humidity. concentrate on temperature and you should be fine..

eventually you are going to have to put your trust in a thermometer..

I have used many different kinds and I finally found one that works for me.. it is a digital combination temp/hum unit made by SPRINGFIELD ,,precise temp..

I also have a digital food therm I bought from Fleet & Farm.. It has a 5" long probe and it's reaction time is quite quick..

I also had (lost it) a therm that I bought from one of the online chicken suppliers for about $18.oo

It is about a 2" dial with a rigid 6" probe.. what I like about it is that it has a nut on the back and you can adjust it .. Once you have one therm you can trust, then adjust this one to match and you have a handy one to use to probe all of your bators with.. I sometimes have 6 to 8 bators going at a time.

hope this helps some..

.......jiminwisc..........

 

[Chix-in-GA]

I f you want to know the accuracy or your Hygrometer do the following:

-Get a ceramic coffee cup
-mix 1/2 cup table salt with 1/4 cup water in the cup
-stir the mixture (it should be like wet sand)
-Place the cup in a large ziplock bag
-put the hygrometer in the bag next to the cup
-zip the bag and let it set for 6 to 8 hours
-the humidity should read 75%
-if it does not read 75% you will know how off your hygrometer is
-Mark the hygrometer with a magic marker + or - how ever much it is off.

Hope this helps!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
will this work with a digital unit also??

does room temp have any bearing on the reading for this test??

.jiminwisc.......

 

[tcal]

You people r great! I am learning SOOOO much here.

Turning by hand, How often would you open it up to turn eggs?

and yet another question..........

Still air incubation, 102 degrees at top of egg .....right?