Need advice, Got incubator with no thermometer!!!

[missfitch]

I bought a GQF Hovabator Incubator 1602N incubator, its up and running (got from craigslist) but there was no thermometer and I am expecting eggs tomorrow!!!! AHHHH Can I find something at home depot that will work? Any suggestions and I must be able to get it by tomorrow.

Would love a suggestion with a humidity gauge too.

TSC sells and indoor outdoor thermometer with a humidity gauge, would this work?

Any other helpful hints are warmly welcomed,

Thanks in advance,

Steph





;

 

[McCord6]

Go to walmart, in their hard-ware section, they have a good digital thermomenter/hygrometer and it's cheap.

 

[missfitch]

and I can set it right on the eggs? Sorry really new to this,
and THANK YOU!!!
My 4 year old is counting on me!

 

[FenDruadin]

Hi Miss Fitch--McCord is right--Walmart is the way to go. Look for the Acu-rite digital thermometer/hygrometer combination (if TSC has Acu-rite, that's fine too--but I can't speak for any other brands--they can vary widely in quality). It will run between $6 and $10. You will set it on the floor of the incubator, behind the turner, where you can see it from the windows. There is room in the back or on the sides for that--it will sit upright, not on its back. You'll understand once you have the thermometer.

Do it tonight, and calibrate the hygrometer portion before you use it. To do that, run a search on this forum for "calibrate hygrometer" and follow the instructions. You want to start it tonight because you'll need to leave it in the plastic bag for several hours--overnight will be fine.

You still won't know how accurate your thermometer is, but usually they're close enough to work. You'll adjust your temps after each hatch according to whether you got a satisfactory hatch or not, and whether it was late or early, but for now you don't need to worry too much. Just trust the thermometer for the time being.

If your eggs are being shipped, they will need to sit for 12-24 hours outside the incubator before you set them anyway, so you still have time to get everything stabilized.

Post again if you have questions. I can probably get a picture of the thermometer I use, which is the one I'm recommending, but I don't have the turner in at the moment because I'm on Day 18, so you still won't see how it sits in there with the turner.

By the way--does your Hovabator have the circulating fan? If so, your temp will be different than if it's not. I love my Hovabator--it holds temps VERY well.

Good luck!

 

[missfitch]

no fan, and I dont have the automatic egg turner....yet either, may add it for future hatches, so just place it on the metal rack?
Thanks,
your info is very helpful