incubator problems

[BMOLLEUR]

I have 2 styrofoam incubators set up in a closed bathroom with no vents or drafts. Having a problem keeping a constant temperature overnight as the house naturally cools and i havent started using the heat yet. Is there anything i can do to keep the temperatures more stable? because cold nights have killed my hatch rate

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

There are some suggestions in this thread - @Celtic Hill puts a polar fleece blanket over the incubator at night: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/475602/fluctuating-temp-in-styrofoam-bator.

Good luck!

 

[BMOLLEUR]

Thanks for the info. I tried a search and couldnt find much

 

[Ridgerunner]

How cold does it get? Have you put a thermometer in the incubators to determine how much the temperature drops inside? My Styrofoam incubator doesn’t have any trouble keeping up with lows in the upper 60’s but I haven’t tried it lower.

One trick to slow temperature drop is to use a thermal mass. Put some water in a plastic bag in the incubator to fill it up. The water should absorb heat during the day and slowly give it off at night. That might be enough to tip the balance. Filling the incubator with eggs instead of leaving some spots empty does the same type of thing. Or use a bag of sand.

You could put something warm in the incubator when it starts to cool off, like a warmed brick or a bag of warm water. The risk there is that you could overheat the incubator and cook the eggs. That Styrofoam is a good insulation, if you add too much heat it could hold it long enough to cook the eggs.

Take a shower in there with hot water before you go to bed. Keep the door closed to keep the heat in. Every little bit helps.

You may have to wait until you turn the heat on to get a better incubating environment if you are convinced it really is the cold. Have you calibrated your thermometers to assure the incubator is heating to the point it is supposed to? I’ve had thermometers and thermostats off several degrees before I calibrated them. Talk about aggravating.