PLEASE HELP. Three thermometers and 3 differnt temps & humidity in incubator

[rarebear]

This is my third incubation. I am SO frustrated. Placed 12 eggs in today. I have four thermometers and 2 humidity gauges and all have different readings. The Brinsea digital is lower than the other two by 3 degrees. The two others are from Petsmart. One if a $29. combo therm/humidity and the other is a regular combo about $15. The plain old thern that was purchased for $5 at Tractor Supply reads the same as the $15 regular combo .

The bator is a Little Giant that is equipped with a fan and an egg turner.

I am so frustrated. Which do I believe?

 

[Knittycat]

how far are they off from eachother? I've been having the same issue with my thermometers. It's resolving slowly, and I'm not incubating eggs yet.. GOOD LUCK!

 

[rarebear]

They are all on different sides. This is insanity. I have $80 worth of therms and none are the same. I thought Brinsea was suppose to be the best? Do I believe that one or 2 others that are the same. I am at wit's end.

 

[Knittycat]

If any of them are calibrateable, I'd do that first.

 

[silkiechicken]

Calibrate first and then remember that there can be a few degree difference depending on the location within the incubator. You can always put a closed baggie of water at egg level in there and measure water temp a day later with a human thermometer. Has to be a closed baggie of water so you don't have evaporative cooling of the liquid.

Good luck!

 

[rarebear]

Calibrate first and then remember that there can be a few degree difference depending on the location within the incubator. You can always put a closed baggie of water at egg level in there and measure water temp a day later with a human thermometer. Has to be a closed baggie of water so you don't have evaporative cooling of the liquid.

Good luck!

Thank you. Do you know to calibrate a Brinsea spot check therm? I did a search and could find nothing.

 

[silkiechicken]

I don't know how to calibrate that particular model. If it can read down to 32F, you can do an ice water bath test.

 

[jakewelder]

I have the same problem, 3 cheap thermometers . One does temp and humidity. One is a glass , and one is a temp and humidity with Probe.the glass and the one that I lay by the eggs have the same temp, the one with the probe reads about a degree warmer and a couple percentage higher on the humidity, think the important thing is where I put the probe just by the very tops of the eggs. If i put the probe higher or deeper, it goes way off.

 

[katsdar]

I have a brinsea Eco 20 and kept my temp right at 100 F, first 18 days humidity was no higher than 55 % RH, lock down temp same RH went to 70 to 75 % when chicks hatched RH went up and then back down, temp is vital during the first 18 days RH is vital for lock down, too high you get sticky chicks or they can drown too low and they get shrink wrapped, as long as your temp does not go above 103 I would not worry, I hope this helps. BTW 100% hatch rate with old eggs. I would calibrate one of your store bought thermometers and set brinsea to that if it is off, but 2 to 3 degrees I would not worry really.

 

[rarebear]

GREAT INFORMATION, THANKS. I hatched two small batches last Spring. One was only 5 of 16 shipped eggs and the other was better at 9 of 16 eggs. ( all pullets and only roo.) Reading some of these instructions on hatching make it sound like a variance of .01 will kill the chicks. Today I am wondering how anyone can ever hatch chickens with these therms that are all over the map. As I said I have several at $30 each, another at $15 and a few that came with the bator. The only reason I am slightly leaning to the Brinsea digital is that I took my own temperature and it was 98 ish which if the human normal. I have NO idea how to calibrate this Brinsea... A You Tube video say not to pout digitals in water...of course it was in my mouth for testing. Oh good grief, I have turned into an insane chicken mama. If I told my adult children they would have me committed.