Questions: Hatching in Egg Cartons / Best Thermostat?

[janchilds]

Okay.. on my last hatch we went through three thermostats. Might have been me being paranoid but now I don't trust any of them. Any suggestions on the best ones out there? Also can I get one that does both temp and humidity together??

I recently read on one of the boards that someone was having better hatching rates by hatching in egg cartons inside their incubator? Anyone else seeing this? Seems easy enough if it really works. Would love more feedback from you guys.

As always, THANK YOU... what would I do without my BYC friends!

 

[silkymom1986]

My husband got our digital thermometer at Walmart, it has been through 3 hatches and is still going strong. It's the kind with a prong, we put it inside a wiggler and calibrate it so we know the internal temp of the eggs. Not sure what the brand is though, I will have to look when I get home!!!

 

[TedJan92_in_Idaho]

Do you mean thermometer?

If you do mean thermostat then this is a good one if your bator uses a heating element. If using light bulbs its not that great

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/egg-i...ital-electronic-egg-incubator-thermostat.html

 

[janchilds]

Meant thermometer? Thanks though!

 

[sixshooter60]

Ted i have this thermostat and have light bulbs for heat and it works fine.. why did you say it wont work with light bulbs .. just wondering

 

[Maggiesdad]

Cartons keep early chicks from playing egg soccer with the late comers, which would negate the whole point of lockdown. My first hatch ran over 3 days.

What type of bator do you have, and why do you not trust your thermometers?

My first hatch in a Miller LG had a 2-3F spread in a 70F ambient room... My second hatch I moved to a 60F ambient basement, and I had a 4 degree spread in the bator with five thermometers. I brought the room ambient up to 75, and all of the thermometers read the same.

 

[janchilds]

My hatches are taking about 3 days as well. I've noticed how rough the other birds are with the eggs, which is one of the reasons this seemed so interesting.

I was consistently having about a 3 degree spread for 5 weeks (started bator before eggs went in) and then the last week it seemed to be spiking. I ended up using 4 different thermometers at the same time and went with the 2 reading the closests. The incubator is in the dinning room where temps are the most steady (old house with fluxuating temps). I'd say the house is right around 68-69 degrees.

I've been using two Brower top hatch incubators- one for incubating, one for hatching.

This last time I'm not sure my humidity was spot on. We ended up helping 3 chicks out of eggs after pipping and not finishing their hatch. So I need to fine tune that as well.

Thanks,