Incubator temperature

[Cedar Man]

Just starting raising quail again and I have a HOVABATOR incubator with quail eggs in it. My problem is I have a Brinsea spot check thermometer and it renges from 98.3 to 101.3 temp.
What adjustment should I make for best hatch. This setting seems to be midway from 99.5 deg.
Used to have a GQF Sportsman cabinet and hatched a lot of birds with it. Got disabled and had to scale back.
Thanks,
Joe

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

If you can't get the thermostat widdled down a bit, that SHOULD be fine. As long as it doesn't get under 98 or above 102 for extended periods of time, you're in the clear.

 

[Valley quail breeder]

I woke up one morning found my temp at 106 on a batch of eggs and I thought that these eggs wouldnt hatch turned out 95% on hatch day not to shabby, I agree as long as you dont have long peroids of time below or above should be fine try keep temp around 100. Good luck on the hatch.

 

[kingmt]

Are you measuring the air temp or the temp of the solids (eggs). You can test the temp of a bottle of water about the same size as your eggs that has been in there long enough to stabilize to get a good idea of the eggs temp. if your air temp is swinging from 98.3-100.3 then I would saw your temp is probably around 99.3. You can put a small fan in it to help regulate the temp.

 

[humpbacks1962]

Getting under 98 for several hours really kills the hatch? Even a few degrees, or are you talking dropping the temperature into the 80s or 70s?

I am pretty confused, considering that some suggest even cool down periods.

 

[bfrancis]

Getting under 98 for several hours really kills the hatch? Even a few degrees, or are you talking dropping the temperature into the 80s or 70s?

I am pretty confused, considering that some suggest even cool down periods.

Getting under 98 a few degrees for a short time won't hurt ...imagine if the chicks were being incubated by a hen in the wild and she got off the nest to eat and drink, for a short time those eggs would not be at a constant temp...for an extended period could/would impact your hatch rate...

Clear as mud? Hope this helps.

 

[yinepu]

try wrapping a thick towel over the bator and see if that stabilizes your temps any.. its what i do whenever i use a styro bator in the winter.. (can't use a styro bator here in the summer since the house gets too darn hot for them)