Progression of my first hatch!

[SoccerMomof7]

Okay I started gathering eggs on the 25th and and now I have enough to set I can't get the incubator to maintain even temperatures. I did buy 2 new digital thermometers but now my DH thinks that it's the thermostat going out but it has 2, and electric and a back up wafer thermostat. I say it's not maintaining temperatures because the weather decided to go all crazy and go from almost 70 degrees to 1 degree outside and it's in the insulated shop. There's no heat in the shop so I finally convinced him to let me bring it in the house, but I had to let him put this car he is re building back in the shop! (our compromise) So what do you guys think, it is the cold or the thermostat going out the makes the temps vary?

 

[serendipity22]

I know that my Styrofoam bators are very susceptible to temperature fluctuations if the temperature around them varies.

Keep in mind that the temperature will fluctuate a little when the heating element turns on and off. Are you using a Water Wriggler?

 

[SoccerMomof7]

No I can't find one is there something else I can use?

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I heard someone on here uses a ziplock bag as a water wiggler. I would make sure your bator is in as much of a draft free part of the house as possible. I use an LG as a hatcher and when the weather changes, it does not hold the temp well. I put a bath towel over it at night to help insulate, but I try not block at least one of the vents. When I put the towel on, I keep really close watch until I make sure it us not going to heat up too much and cook the babies

 

[jimnjay]

Once you put eggs in your incubator and KEEP IT in a stable temperature you will see less fluctuation. Styrofoam incubators, especially, are designed to be used in an environment that has relatively constant temperature. A basement is good as they usually stay cool. Water Wigglers do help you relate to the actual change in temperature in the eggs them selves rather than the air in the unit. If you only have 10 to 12 eggs and you incubator is designed to hold many more. You can add a container of water, call a heat sink to create more solid mass inside. That keeps the temperatures inside more constant.

An insulated shop even in the summer would not be a good choice to keep you incubator. Temperatures in any unheated or non cooled building
will vary way to much for proper operation.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Well this is a cabinet incubator so when it warms up a bit outside I am going to bring it in and set it in the laundry room. I am actually going to block off my back door and cover it with a big blanket so hopefully no drafts go through.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Oh I have also ordered some water wigglers off ebay but that could take weeks to get here you never know.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Okay I brought it into the house how long does it take to warm back up? I am going to double baggie some water and put it in a cup and see how it does.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

It should warm back up within an hour.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Wow it went from78-102 in just a little bit! I turned the temps down and added a makeshift water wiggler, now I am waiting to see what that reads before I do anything else. How long should I run it in the house before I add eggs? Oh I also had to lay the sponge in water and not half out because the humidity was at 49%.