Quail - advice for "ideal" temperature in a highly non-uniform incubator

[als77]

Hi guys.
I need advice for what temperature I should aim for in my very non-uniform incubator...
I'm one week into incubating, and got my hygrometers yesterday which gave me a big surprice in terms of the cold spots in the incubator...

Before adding the eggs I compared the temperature given by the incubator with a bulb thermometer close to the sensor, and it seemed fairly accurate.
However, when I got the hygrometers and spread them in the incubator, they show a spread of 2.6C! (I've tried rearranging the hygrometers to see if one might be off, but it seems that it is the incubator that is the issue).

Looks like the temperature by the edges are higher than the middle (higher above the tray with water - although I'll reduce the water level and/or let it run dry some more), so what part of the incubator should I aim for?

1) The set-up in the picture (with styrofoam) let the "top" (top of picture that is) of the incubator run slightly high (37.7C in the picture), the lower part (of the picture) a bit low (37.1C) and the middle way to low (35.1C). Should I keep it as is?

2) Should I increase the temperature slightly, putting the top at 38C - trying to get the bottom to 37.5C (and the middle probably only at 35.5C)

3) Should I boost the temperature to get the midle part above 37C, which may lead the edges to 39C?

I tried covering the incubator with my sweater. That seemed to reduce the issue somewhat, but also boosted the temperature at the edges... (I guess I can reduce the incubator to try to compensate)

Might ad that I recently increased the temperature slightly, so for the first week the eggs have been somewhat lower than the picture shows, i.e "top" probably running just above 37C, the "bottom" right under 37C, and the middle... Well, likely below 35C

PS. I only candled one egg so far (from the cold spot - looked like a lightbulb, but I'm a noob)

PPS. I'm working in getting the humidity lower - and have removed the styrofoam which helped somewhat. That did also reduce the overall temperature in the incubator (37.3C at the top), but ironically also reduced the spread (1.5C between the warmest and coldest part)

 

[als77]

I removed the styrofoam and covered the top with my sweater. Here's an update 1 hour later;
Incubator shows 38.0C/51%
"Top" shows 37.8C/52%
"Bottom" shows 37.8C/51%
Middle shows 37.2C/51%
The sensor on the hygrometers is on the back, i.e they're measuring the top of the egg turners. The incubator measures where the top of the eggs would have been if the egg turner worked properly (lol it is supposed to work for quail eggs as well, but most of them fall over)

Guess I'll just have to keep it out of the styrofoam and cover the lid with my sweater...

Will probably try to candle after sunset (15 minutes from them having been in the incubator for 8 days)

 

[muddy75]

that incubator looks similar to ones I used to use and I found that the temps got worse with every hatch. I even tried wrapping the lid etc. your best option is to rotate the eggs to different positions in the incubator every couple of days or to set smaller batches using the area most consistent on temperature. mine seemed to work better for summertime incubation in the shed. I finally retired them and upgraded to a brinsea. many on here have really good hatches with other brands as well like Little Giant, Hovabator, Incuview, and NR 360. As far a “inexpensive” incubators, the janoelle 12 is the most reliable but very small (only 25 quail eggs max)

 

[als77]

that incubator looks similar to ones I used to use and I found that the temps got worse with every hatch. I even tried wrapping the lid etc. your best option is to rotate the eggs to different positions in the incubator every couple of days or to set smaller batches using the area most consistent on temperature. mine seemed to work better for summertime incubation in the shed. I finally retired them and upgraded to a brinsea. many on here have really good hatches with other brands as well like Little Giant, Hovabator, Incuview, and NR 360. As far a “inexpensive” incubators, the janoelle 12 is the most reliable but very small (only 25 quail eggs max)

Thanks. Yes, not using the cold spots would be an idea - seems somewhat stable in the edges... Rotating might also be an option, but I'm a week in already so I think I'll stick to the position they're at (leaving the unlucky ones in the bad spot, hoping that the ones in the "good" spots will hatch).

It does seems like I found the trick though by taking it out of the styrofoam (the manual suggest using the styrofoam if the room is below 20C) and covering the lid (but not the sides) with my sweater. I' currently "only" (?) having 0.5C fluctuations between my thermometers now. Yay?

It is a cheap chinese incabor; HHD 24 (model 24S which has a lower power than their ordinary 24 model) bought on Aliexpress.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I'm happy the sweater seems to be working ( or at least improving the temperature). My regret when I ran into the same problem was that I kept trying to change the temperature.

I think if you keep going as you are, many of the eggs will hatch, although on different days. Switching the temperature was probably what killed most of mine. I agree that keeping them in the same area is probably better than rotating them. At least the temperatures will be consistent within the area.

On the next try, try adding a fan. I added a fan made for cooling electronics; it made a huge difference. Here's a link to the article.

Improving Hatch Rates, adding a fan

 

[als77]

I think it already has a fan (it doesn't say so on the product page I bought it from, but the manufacturer claims two fans), but they might just be to weak (a rip-of of a cheap chinese incubator?)

I think the issue is that almost all the heat escapes through the lid (hence insulating the incubator everywhere but the lid makes it even worse). Since my sweater seems to help, I guess the (possible) fan(s) blow the air by the sides (which still are warmer than the middle even though the middle now is covered with a sweater and the sides are not).

Doesn't seem to have much ventilation though - so now I'm worried about that
It has four drainage holes in the bottom, and then a small hose (I can fill water without opening). The lid itself seems to have a quite snug fit to the bottom part, i.e not much air passing through there (hence all the heat loss through the lid as well). How much fresh air do the eggs (and later hopefully hatchlings) need?

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I think it already has a fan (it doesn't say so on the product page I bought it from, but the manufacturer claims two fans), but they might just be to weak (a rip-of of a cheap chinese incubator?)
. . .

If the temperature differs so much, it probably doesn't have a fan. I'll never understand why they even bother to build incubators without fans, but I guess cost and being able to upsell are factors.

 

[als77]

If the temperature differs so much, it probably doesn't have a fan. I'll never understand why they even bother to build incubators without fans, but I guess cost and being able to upsell are factors.

And they claim 95% hatch rate with this incubator

I just candled them (they're on day 8 now - 199 hours in the incubator). We couldn't see any veins, but we're noobs and the eggs are dark... Some eggs let no light through (yay?), some we could see the air pockets (including one that had a dislodged/moving one), and some we saw shades (the yolk?). Only one "lightbulb" (I removed that one).

 

[Jada22]

Just wondering how you got on in the end with this? I’m having a similar problem with a cheap incubator although my temps are varying even more than yours were.