Is it the thermometer or is it just me??

[tnlorprazer]

I think my thermometer has gone haywire. Or is it just me worrying about nothing.

I have the ACU-RITE Digital Thermometer with the In/Out/Humidity reading. I have the sensor in a homemade wiggler (pill bottle full of hair gel). I moved my eggs from the store bought still air incubator to our homemade one with a fan because the heating element kept going in and out (jumping temps all over the place) on the store bought one. I stabilized my homemade one and moved the eggs. (Which is holding temp better than store bought one ever did.) Well, now my eggs feel 'cooler' to the touch than they did in the still air Bator. Is this normal? My thermometer is saying my "out" temp (which is the sensor, right?) is 99.8F. Someone tell me I'm not losing my mind and that I do 'feel' a difference in the egg temp.

 

[Garden Gal]

I don't think there is a way to know the answer to this without getting another thermometer to compare with. I use a hydrometer/thermometer purchased in the indoor plant section at Walmart - it cost about $6.50 and is very easy to read.

 

[walkswithdog]

Did you check the accuracy of your digital vs a medical thermometer? Unless you know your difference from actual you are going to go slowly or quickly nuts.

Stuff a medical thermometer in your "wiggler" that's already up to stable temps, measure the temp in your wiggler. That's your accurate reading. Always subtract or add that difference from what the digital is telling you.

 

[walkswithdog]

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Ummm well, that did come off sounding a tad ermmm rude...

 

[tnlorprazer]

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gone to do this right now!

not rude at all, I didn't think...

 

[walkswithdog]

PS I really want one of those COW Danes like the one in your avatar. chuckle

 

[tnlorprazer]

OK, my digital thermometer like I take the kids temp with wouldn't register a temp in the gel or in the water for humidity. I will run to wal-mart and buy another digital thermometer.

Now I know why some people don't hatch eggs.

My avatar is Allie Mae my harlequin great dane. She's about 160lbs and thinks she can fit in your lap!

 

[tnlorprazer]

OK, my 'air' temp is in the 80's when my 'wiggler' temp is 100.2... I guess what I'm wondering is which number do I pay attention too....

 

[walkswithdog]

Air temps are going to vary, wiggler temps should be accurate. However that low it shouldn't go.

Replace the digital batteries. Is the temp the same?

I wonder if using a non-water gel is affecting wiggler temps. And is your wiggler as big around or bigger than an egg? I have found slightly larger than an egg to end up more accurate.

If your medical thermometer didn't read in the wiggler does it read correctly in a human - all medical thermometers are CONTACT thermometers and must be at least an inch deep in the medium to work properly.

A forced air incubator constantly brings in and cycles fresh air, it's going to vary in a given range. 90's to low 100's is common in air temps. But the wiggler should truly be nearly solid with as little variance as can be managed.

All thermometers can go bad. Some are designed for contact (to be in something) like instant reads and medical thermometers. Spring thermometers wear out eventually. Even liquid can fail. Digitals really vary in accuracy and as SOON as a battery even begins to go bad, the temp goes off.

So test and retest for accuracy. If something seems weird, obey your gut, check and recheck.

 

[tnlorprazer]

Is the temp the same?
I bought another thermometer at Lowe's. It seems my readings on the other one were way off.

Now I don't know if my eggs will hatch...

I wonder if using a non-water gel is affecting wiggler temps.
What do you mean by 'non-water'? Should I use water?

And is your wiggler as big around or bigger than an egg?
The pill bottle I'm using is bigger than an egg and I leave the top off with the probe stuck down in the gel.

If your medical thermometer didn't read in the wiggler does it read correctly in a human - all medical thermometers are CONTACT thermometers and must be at least an inch deep in the medium to work properly.
I checked it on me before I put it in the gel and it worked fine. I'm thinking that since my thermometer was so far off that it just wasn't reading.

So test and retest for accuracy. If something seems weird, obey your gut, check and recheck.
I did follow my gut since I thought something was wrong and indeed it was. I just hope that I caught it in time to save my babies...