Is 2 tenths of a degree critical?

[Jayon]

I can’t seem to get my incubator to sit at 99.5 it likes to flux between 99.5-99.7.

Also with dry incubating is 21% humidity to low?

Thanks,
Jonathan

 

[KellyHM]

Temp can hover from 99.5 - 101.5 and be fine. You'll never get it to be perfect and not all thermometers are perfectly calibrated anyways. I would raise the humidity up to 35-45%.

 

[moduckman]

Quote:
I'd tend to agree. My biggest concern is too low a temp. I like mine at 100 to 102, especially in a syrofoam incubator.

 

[Jayon]

Oh I forgot to mention this 99.5-99.7 is a water wiggle temp the air temp is 99.5-101.7ish.

 

[Mahonri]

I'm hoping that 99.5 is enough... does that mean that the hatch will take longer?

 

[Chipper]

Quote:
If you do a search on dry incubation you will find lots of good information you can use.

 

[Akane]

Too high is worse than too low. They continue to incubate many degrees lower than normal but not too many degrees above it. A lot of people have also had chicks survive very low temps but most threads I've seen with high temp spikes resulted in at least some dead or deformed chicks. I've been trying to find the site but there was one that listed the average number of minutes, hours, or days it took for a chick to die at various temps. Death is quick at 104+ but down to 96 the hatch is mostly just delayed. 102 is considered the upper safe temp and what most still airs run at. I keep mine 101-102 in the middle where it's hottest and 96-97 at the edge where it's coolest. So long as your between 99-102 I wouldn't worry. If they hatch late run it up to a degree warmer and if they hatch early run the next hatch a degree cooler.

 

[Mahonri]

Well this is my first one and I have the 1588 so it is forced air..I wish it would have come with a built in Therm/Hyg. I'm trusting Radio Shack. Should I get another????

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Mahonri..always have 2 thermo's in there!...in case one goes wacko on you..you can judge by the other one...always 2..IMO...good luck!

 

[Mahonri]

Thanks.

I have the little one on the plastic that they give you... I suppose I could sterilize it and place it over the eggs and compare it with the radio shack therm/hyg.