Low hatching temp for large eggs?

[ABQ chicken keeper]

I have the same incubator and I've had good success with it. I have a second thermometer inside that says the temp is (now) 99.5. Or rather, the red line hovers just a hair below 100.

Other than unfertilized eggs, my hatch rate is very high with just set and forget. This time I moved it because the afternoon sun was driving the temperature up, and I wanted the space in the sun for plants.

I just chose the wrong spot. It's now in another area of the house, with no sun, no drafts, and a blanket around it. Egg temperatures have risen to more reasonable levels since I measured this morning.

How are measuring the temperature of each egg? Did I understand that correctly?

 

[LaurenRitz]

How are measuring the temperature of each egg? Did I understand that correctly?

I have one of those handheld gunish things. Not sure if it's accurate, although the things that I've measured outside of this project it has been within the expected range. I'm sure the temperature inside the incubator is correct.

I hold the thermometer about 3-4 inches from the round end of the egg. I have to measure one at a time, because the temperature of the eggs goes down very fast.

 

[McChooky]

It a positive affect. I do it for all sized eggs, including duck, & goose.

According to an article I read (days before my chicks were due to hatch) leghorn eggs lose a lot of moisture when incubated using the dry hatch method. Unfortunately it was too late for mine so in spite of half of them hatching first half of them didn't hatch at all. I did reduce the temperature the last 4 days(I'm using a diy incubator)
Its also interesting that all my brown eggs hatched.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I'm really going to need to do this test again, just for my own curiosity. I dropped the temperature down to 99 on day 10, and the heavier pigmented eggs are noticably hotter, ranging above 99.4.

I wish there was a way to get the egg temperatures without opening the incubator.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm really going to need to do this test again, just for my own curiosity. I dropped the temperature down to 99 on day 10, and the heavier pigmented eggs are noticably hotter, ranging above 99.4.

I wish there was a way to get the egg temperatures without opening the incubator.

I like to use Incubator Warehouse Egg'O Meters. They're egg shaped Thermometers that tell you inner egg temperature. I use them mainly to find cold spots in the incubator.

It's the thing with white cord leading to back left corner.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have a good thermometer in the incubator. What I need for this test is wireless patches that I can attach to each egg. Currently looking in medical.

 

[Smokerbill]

I hold the thermometer about 3-4 inches from the round end of the egg. I have to measure one at a time, because the temperature of the eggs goes down very fast.

Just a thought, but the air cell is in the round end of the egg, and it seems to me that that area would cool down the quickest. Would checking the temperature somewhere around the centerline of the egg, where the chick/yolk/albumen is actually in contact with the shell, give a more accurate reading of the developing chick's temperature?

 

[LaurenRitz]

Just a thought, but the air cell is in the round end of the egg, and it seems to me that that area would cool down the quickest. Would checking the temperature somewhere around the centerline of the egg, where the chick/yolk/albumen is actually in contact with the shell, give a more accurate reading of the developing chick's temperature?

Probably, but that didn't occur to me until a few days ago. One more variable to account for.

Yesterday two eggs were over 100 degrees; one of the Marans and a heavily pigmented pink. This morning another is 100.2.

Tomorrow is lockdown.