Incubator's thermometer causing issue?

[usmanshahzada]

I bought a new 25 eggs incubator 2-3 months ago. And I have placed eggs thrice in it and so far output/result is zero. First time placed 24 eggs, second time 8 and now 25. Today is 22nd day and so far no hatches.

I have maintained 37.5 C temperature. But today I placed normal body temperature's thermometer for humans in the incubator and that was showing 39.4 C instead of 37.5. Difference of almost 2. Is this causing the problem?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Absolutely.
Good job on your comparison and analysis.
So now set your thermostat so the thermometer reads 35.5 and you should be able to hatch.
That high temperature throughout will eventually kill all the embryos.
Most thermometers are notorious for being inaccurate and certainly not close enough for successfully hatching.
Good luck in the future.

 

[usmanshahzada]

Absolutely.
Good job on your comparison and analysis.
So now set your thermostat so the thermometer reads 35.5 and you should be able to hatch.
That high temperature throughout will eventually kill all the embryos.
Most thermometers are notorious for being inaccurate and certainly not close enough for successfully hatching.
Good luck in the future.

Thank you but my question is I have used normal thermometer that we use to check temperature. Placing that in incubator will show correct reading? I did check my temperature to see whther that thermometer is fine and it showed the correct body temperature of 37.5 and then i placed that among eggs in the incubator and it was showing 39.4

 

[Ridgerunner]

I totally agree. I never trust any thermometer until it has been calibrated. The incubator thermometers and factory settings are notorious for being off but practically any one you buy can be off. My incubator factory setting was high and the two thermometers I bought were both low.

A way to calibrate a thermometer is to take a medical thermometer that has already been calibrated and put that and your thermometer in a glass of warm water around incubation temperature and compare them.

It sounds like you may have a still air (thermal) incubator. Warm air rises. You can get a tremendous difference in temperature depending on where you take the temperature in that incubator. The general recommendation is 101.5 F at the top of the eggs in a still air. That's quite a bit different than the 99.5 F recommended for a forced air (with a fan) incubator and illustrates just how much difference that small height difference can make.

 

[usmanshahzada]

I totally agree. I never trust any thermometer until it has been calibrated. The incubator thermometers and factory settings are notorious for being off but practically any one you buy can be off. My incubator factory setting was high and the two thermometers I bought were both low.

A way to calibrate a thermometer is to take a medical thermometer that has already been calibrated and put that and your thermometer in a glass of warm water around incubation temperature and compare them.

It sounds like you may have a still air (thermal) incubator. Warm air rises. You can get a tremendous difference in temperature depending on where you take the temperature in that incubator. The general recommendation is 101.5 F at the top of the eggs in a still air. That's quite a bit different than the 99.5 F recommended for a forced air (with a fan) incubator and illustrates just how much difference that small height difference can make.

My incubator has a fan and is an automatic incubator so on the top of the eggs temperature should be 99.5F or 37.5 C?

 

[lazy gardener]

Temp in forced air: 99.5*, though I use 100* and have wonderful hatching results. Temp in still air 102* at surface of the eggs. Please, before you plug that bator in again, read all of "Hatching Eggs 101" in the learning center. IMO, it should be required reading before any one plugs in an incubator. Reading that compilation of research based material would prevent so many incubation failures.

No matter how much you pay for a thermometer or hygrometer, or where you buy it... Consider that it's lying to you unless you have calibrated it against a good medical grade thermometer. Got 2 thermometers that read the same? They could be equally wrong! CALIBRATE THAT EQUIPMENT!!!! BTW, I calibrate in a cup or bowl of water at 100*F.

 

[ronott1]

Incubator thermostats can be way off. Yours is a good example.

Using the thermometer to check your body temp is a way of calibarting. Go by that thermometer.

See if you can get a brinsea spot check. They are very accurate but you should calibrate it too.

Follow Chicken canoes advice and incubate again at the lower setting. use the calibrated thermometer to make sure you get to 36.5--That is the correct temperature for a fan forced incubator

 

[Ridgerunner]

My incubator has a fan and is an automatic incubator so on the top of the eggs temperature should be 99.5F or 37.5 C?

With a forced air the temp should be 37.5 C everywhere in the incubator. If you are off a couple pf decimals it's not big deal but 37.5 is your target. If you are getting different readings at different spots in the incubator something is very wrong. You my have airflow problems or the thermometer may really be messed up. There are two things that could be wrong with a thermometer, it may not consistently read the right temperature which calibration will take care of. Or it may not read within a few degrees of the same temperature each time. It may read 37 on time and 39 the next even if the temperature has not changed. If that is the case throw it away and get another one. Some thermometers are made to read within 1 or 2 degrees, those are the kind you hang outside to check air temperature. For an incubator you need one that is made to read within 0.1 degree (F or C).

 

[usmanshahzada]

With a forced air the temp should be 37.5 C everywhere in the incubator. If you are off a couple pf decimals it's not big deal but 37.5 is your target. If you are getting different readings at different spots in the incubator something is very wrong. You my have airflow problems or the thermometer may really be messed up. There are two things that could be wrong with a thermometer, it may not consistently read the right temperature which calibration will take care of. Or it may not read within a few degrees of the same temperature each time. It may read 37 on time and 39 the next even if the temperature has not changed. If that is the case throw it away and get another one. Some thermometers are made to read within 1 or 2 degrees, those are the kind you hang outside to check air temperature. For an incubator you need one that is made to read within 0.1 degree (F or C).

Last night when I was checking the temperature using my medical thermometer and i tried placing at different locations in the incubator and each time the reading was different

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Incubator thermostats can be way off. Yours is a good example.

Using the thermometer to check your body temp is a way of calibarting. Go by that thermometer.

See if you can get a brinsea spot check. They are very accurate but you should calibrate it too.

Follow Chicken canoes advice and incubate again at the lower setting. use the calibrated thermometer to make sure you get to 36.5--That is the correct temperature for a fan forced incubator

I would check it in an Ice bath as well just to get a low reading as a precaution.