Incubator temp vs egg temp

[casportpony]

whilst my black thermometer with a probe that is touching the eggs directly shows 36.3*C.

Welcome to BYC! This is probably not a good way to measure shell temperature. Using something like this would be more accurate:

http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_C...s/Ross_How_Tos/RossHowto3EggShellTempEN13.pdf

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you have a fan in that incubator? If you have a fan in there the air should be mixed up so you should get the same temperature wherever you take the temperature. That doesn't always work but it should work that way if the fan is positioned right..

If you do not have a fan and the air is still, warm air rises. Where you take the temperature is very important, especially relative to elevation. Are the eggs and all the thermometers at the same elevation? If not then they should read differently.

I appreciate the replies, but I’m still trying to find out if the incubator air temp is supposed to be different from the actual egg temp!!

That's a bit hard to answer because different things go on inside different incubators. What is important is the temperature in the middle of the egg where the embryo is and where you cannot measure. The egg is a lot denser than air so it cools off and heats up slower. You can get a pretty rapid difference in air temperature and inside the egg temperature. Some incubators and their thermostats are designed for the air to cool off and heat up a bit. As long as that range isn't very great and the egg isn't at those extreme temperatures for long the center of the egg should remain relatively stable. The average air temperature at that spot in the incubator and the temperature in the center of the egg should be real close.

If you do not have a fan and are not measuring at the right elevation yes they should be different.

 

[Adz_k187]

Welcome to BYC! This is probably not a good way to measure shell temperature. Using something like this would be more accurate:
View attachment 2373267

View attachment 2373268
http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_C...s/Ross_How_Tos/RossHowto3EggShellTempEN13.pdf

Thank you for this product recommendation, I think it could come in quite handy, but In my current situation I dont think the purchase will be necessary. This is a one off project really, with two Pekin duck eggs, if I had more eggs then I’d definitely get this!

 

[Adz_k187]

Do you have a fan in that incubator? If you have a fan in there the air should be mixed up so you should get the same temperature wherever you take the temperature. That doesn't always work but it should work that way if the fan is positioned right..

If you do not have a fan and the air is still, warm air rises. Where you take the temperature is very important, especially relative to elevation. Are the eggs and all the thermometers at the same elevation? If not then they should read differently.

I appreciate the replies, but I’m still trying to find out if the incubator air temp is supposed to be different from the actual egg temp!!

That's a bit hard to answer because different things go on inside different incubators. What is important is the temperature in the middle of the egg where the embryo is and where you cannot measure. The egg is a lot denser than air so it cools off and heats up slower. You can get a pretty rapid difference in air temperature and inside the egg temperature. Some incubators and their thermostats are designed for the air to cool off and heat up a bit. As long as that range isn't very great and the egg isn't at those extreme temperatures for long the center of the egg should remain relatively stable. The average air temperature at that spot in the incubator and the temperature in the center of the egg should be real close.

If you do not have a fan and are not measuring at the right elevation yes they should be different.

I don’t have a fan, unfortunately I’m not very good with wiring or electrics, perhaps if I tried with a few attempts I could get it! but then again like I’ve said before, this is just for two eggs. I believe they are on equal elivation, I’ve heard someone say to put the probe at the top since air rises in a still air bator?!?! But thank you, that helps a lot.

 

[LapisLazuli]

What incubator are you using?

 

[Adz_k187]

What incubator are you using?

a still air styrofoam incubator, my first time.

 

[mcdze]

you'll get temp variations even in different spots most likely .. theres a safe range .. i'd move things around a bit and observe them under varying ambient conditions to get a feel for it then shoot for about 99 somewhere in the middle of the egg area .. it may be 101 over there and 98 over there but it will be alright .. if your hand flipping them i would rearrange them and rotate them to different spots as you do that ..