resolving incubator calibration inconsistencies?

[ohgoodnessguineas]

i bought a separate digital hygrometer/thermometer that i could lay on the level with the yolks/embryos of my eggs in the incubator after reading that many folks had done this on here and it sounded like really good advice. thing is, the meter that lays low always reads high on the humidity, low on the temp compared to the embedded meters.

this makes sense to me. i mean heat rises and most of the humidity is coming off of the water in the basin so its gonna be more humid right there...BUT, my question is what are we really looking for?

my most recent hatch was really successful following age old methodology of humidity levels and such. but if we are setting our incubators for 100 degrees, and my thermometer is reading 97 degrees at the level of the eggs, is this what i want? conversely if my humidity is reading 67% on the hygrometer down low but only 58% on the one set up high, should i be taking an average of the two to get a true bead of humidity??

confused. like i say i had a good hatch, but id really like to know what im doing is truly correct and not just a lucky shot in the dark.

 

[R2elk]

i bought a separate digital hygrometer/thermometer that i could lay on the level with the yolks/embryos of my eggs in the incubator after reading that many folks had done this on here and it sounded like really good advice. thing is, the meter that lays low always reads high on the humidity, low on the temp compared to the embedded meters.

this makes sense to me. i mean heat rises and most of the humidity is coming off of the water in the basin so its gonna be more humid right there...BUT, my question is what are we really looking for?

my most recent hatch was really successful following age old methodology of humidity levels and such. but if we are setting our incubators for 100 degrees, and my thermometer is reading 97 degrees at the level of the eggs, is this what i want? conversely if my humidity is reading 67% on the hygrometer down low but only 58% on the one set up high, should i be taking an average of the two to get a true bead of humidity??

confused. like i say i had a good hatch, but id really like to know what im doing is truly correct and not just a lucky shot in the dark.

What you have to do is to calibrate both your thermometer and hygrometer. It is not uncommon for the factory or purchased thermometers and hygrometers to be wrong.

Do a search for how to calibrate a thermometer and how to calibrate a hygrometer. There is lots of information in BYC and on the Internet.

@WVduckchick has a link to her article on humidity in her signature.

If you are using a still air incubator, the temperature should be measured at a level even with the top of the eggs. If it is a forced air incubator the temperature should be measured in the air flow.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks @R2elk

Agree. Incubators fresh out of the box are often wrong. Even if they end up being right, they still should be confirmed with independently tested meters.

The “salt test” is a scientific way to verify your hygrometer. Thermometers are not as easily tested at incubating temps, but there are ways to test them enough to be trusted.

 

[ohgoodnessguineas]

thank you so much!!