Incubator questions and concerns.

[Our Roost]

aart, Okay, explain that to me a little bit. What were you using to determine they were all off? Another thermometer of better quality? I dont understand how a person determines the temperature you are reading on a thermometer to be correct or incorrect. What are they comparing it to? I have no idea how they are made or set from the factory. The inside incubator temp is to be at 99.5 degrees supposedly. I take it that this is a predetermined temperature and needs to be maintained through the whole time of incubation. It appears this temperature is crittical. How close to that temperature do you have to be? Whats the plus or minus factor?

 

[aart]

aart, Okay, explain that to me a little bit. What were you using to determine they were all off? Another thermometer of better quality? I dont understand how a person determines the temperature you are reading on a thermometer to be correct or incorrect. What are they comparing it to? I have no idea how they are made or set from the factory. The inside incubator temp is to be at 99.5 degrees supposedly. I take it that this is a predetermined temperature and needs to be maintained through the whole time of incubation. It appears this temperature is crittical. How close to that temperature do you have to be? Whats the plus or minus factor?

My 'standard' (the thing I compared all others against) is highlighted below. We know that boiling water is always 212 degrees F.
You can use ice cubes just covered in water too, because we know that heavily iced water is always 32 degrees F.
I used boiling water because the candy thermometer was the only thermometer I had that I could get wet and would read in the temperature range I needed for incubation.
Hope that helps.

I'm on my first hatch too.....one of the things I made sure to check was that any of thermometers and hygrometers are correct by testing them against a known criteria.

I used a candy thermometer tested in boiling water and noted how far off 212 degrees it was.
Then put the candy thermometer and 3 others in the incubator and compared them all, noting any differences.
I made a chart noting all temps and made notes about if this one reads this temp it is actually that temp.

Hygrometers can be tested by putting 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup water in a dish or jar and mixing it to a slurry.
Put the salt slurry jar and the hygrometer next to each other in a sealed plastic bag.
After 8-12 hours the hygrometer should read 75%...again note and differences and you're set.

I turned on and ran the incubator, watching several thermometers and hygrometers for 48 hours, to get to 100 degrees before setting any eggs.
I didn't touch the thermostat for 24 hours, until the temp had stabilized from adding the eggs.

Good Luck Have Fun!