Incubator Temperature too high?

[ncmtngal]

My bator temp is consistetly between 101 and 101.5. Too high? Eggs have been in for two days.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

I keep mine at 99.5 to 102 at times and have no issues at all.

My bator temp is consistetly between 101 and 101.5. Too high? Eggs have been in for two days.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you have a forced air incubator, it is a little too high. The perfect temperature for a forced air is 99.5* F. For a still air, since hot air rises, it needs to be 101.5* F at the top of the eggs. Location in a still air is important.

Have you calibrated your thermometer? If you have not, then you really don't know what temperature you have. Not calibrating them can lead to problems. This might help.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

There area few different things going on with temperature. One is the average incubating temperature. If your average incubating temperature is a little low, the eggs can hatch late. If it is a little high they can hatch early, maybe two or three days early. As long is it does not significantly change the core temperature, a spike or drop is not a big problem. It is the average temperature that counts as far as development time.

The other problem with the temperatures being off is that the egg needs to be fairly close to the right temperature for the chick to develop right. There is a lot going on in the egg for the chick to develop. If the temperature is consistently too cool or too warm, some of that stuff might not happen as it should. I can't tell you that if the temperature is off a certain amount then certain things will happen. It does not work that way. Different eggs in the same incubator can react differently. Many of us, including me, don't get it exactly precisely right, but it is best to try to get it as close as you reasonably can. That just improves your odds of a good hatch.

Some of the things that can happen is that the eggs might not hatch at all or body parts may not form correctly. The chicks that do hatch may be weaker than they should be. As I said, this does not happen each and every time you are off a little. But the further you are off, the more likely for something bad to happen. Just make sure your thermometer is calibrated so you are sure you know what you are seeing and try to get it as close as you reasonably can.

Good luck!!!

 

[twentynine]

If you have a forced air incubator, it is a little too high. The perfect temperature for a forced air is 99.5* F. For a still air, since hot air rises, it needs to be 101.5* F at the top of the eggs. Location in a still air is important.

Have you calibrated your thermometer? If you have not, then you really don't know what temperature you have. Not calibrating them can lead to problems. This might help.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

There area few different things going on with temperature. One is the average incubating temperature. If your average incubating temperature is a little low, the eggs can hatch late. If it is a little high they can hatch early, maybe two or three days early. As long is it does not significantly change the core temperature, a spike or drop is not a big problem. It is the average temperature that counts as far as development time.

The other problem with the temperatures being off is that the egg needs to be fairly close to the right temperature for the chick to develop right. There is a lot going on in the egg for the chick to develop. If the temperature is consistently too cool or too warm, some of that stuff might not happen as it should. I can't tell you that if the temperature is off a certain amount then certain things will happen. It does not work that way. Different eggs in the same incubator can react differently. Many of us, including me, don't get it exactly precisely right, but it is best to try to get it as close as you reasonably can. That just improves your odds of a good hatch.

Some of the things that can happen is that the eggs might not hatch at all or body parts may not form correctly. The chicks that do hatch may be weaker than they should be. As I said, this does not happen each and every time you are off a little. But the further you are off, the more likely for something bad to happen. Just make sure your thermometer is calibrated so you are sure you know what you are seeing and try to get it as close as you reasonably can.

Good luck!!!

Very good information. Just started (1-12-12, 1800hrs) my first eggs in a home built incubator. Wafer thermostat, circulating fan, 60w light bulbs for a heat source. For this run I am going with hand turning, hope to get a turner in the future.

I am suffering some anxiety on accuracy of thermometers, I have 3, digital, health, and a outdoor remote, from hot to cold I am looking at 99.5 to 101.5. My solution has been to adverage the 3 reading and come up with a "mean" temp.