Temp variances in bator

[skunknchatter]

Hubby and I made our "Binki-bator" (as named by our son) today and we're just trying to work out the kinks. I have a temp variance 3 degrees from one side of the bator to the other. I do have a fan in my bator. I also have a water wiggler right in the middle of my egg platform (screen). Should I not worry about the 3 degree variance if I can get my wiggler to stay constant?

Also my humidity jumps down a lot when I open the bator for a few seconds (no egg turner here) but it does climb back up pretty good. Is this okay. Also I can only get it to about 46% OR it will jump up to 67% and rising. Any ideas? Thanks all! Looking forward to my first test hatch.

 

[tec27]

3 degrees is a lot. Especially since you have a fan. Fans are meant to keep the entire incubator the same temp. Check to make sure your fan is doing its job. Other than that if your different temps are still in the 98-102 range then i wouldn't worry about it too much. You're humidity should be around 40% for the first 18 days. Some people will say 50% or whatever. I don't think anyone really knows the perfect humidity. My house is relatively humid on its own i guess so my bator has a natural humidity of 40%. I just keep it at this level until lockdown. Then i add water to get it up to 60-70%. If your humidity is too high and you can't get it down, try adding dry rice. The rice will absorb the humidity. If your humidity is too low, add water but make sure you increase the amount of surface area the water takes up. So add a little container of water but then add a sponge or something to increase its surface area.

 

[skunknchatter]

Update after overnight. My water wiggler has held steady at 100F for over 12 hours now. But in order to keep it there my temps in my incubator are reading 102F-104F. My hot water bath is reading 104F as well. I checked it with the same probe as my water wiggler to make sure it wasn't just thermometer. If my wiggler is holding steady at a good temp should I just leave things as they are? Or should I adjust my incubator temps lower?

I've finally got the humidity thing worked out. It's between 40%-46% all the time.

 

[tec27]

I have zero experience with water wigglers. I have never used them so this advice may not be correct. However, since the water wiggler is supposed to simulate an egg and is reading 100 degrees then that should be fine, even if the incubator temp reads 102-104 degrees. 104 degrees is a little high, but if you wiggler is correct then you should be fine.

 

[skunknchatter]

I added some tin foil in front of the light bulb to eliminate any radiant heat. Now my temps only differ 0.5 degrees from one end of the bator to the other. Also my temps are reading 99.5F-100.5F steady. I guess the 104F was from the light shining directly on the closer thermometer and why the water wiggler was reading at 100F. Thanks tec27 for the replies and humidity tips. I think I've got all the kinks worked out. Now if my hens would lay a dang egg!

 

[tec27]

Thats great that you got it all sorted out. Im glad i could contribute.

 

[demerson]

We ended up putting small smooth stones here and there in the incubator and after they warmed up they tended to radiate heat ...like stones around a fire place and equalized everything out pretty good.... they also helped hold heat when opening up if we needed to.

 

[cva34]

Water in jars,bottles also make a great heat sink.You can use them for Humidity control by lid on lid or lid off as needed. Be sure water is about incubator temp when you set the Jars/Bottles in....cva34
I Like them better if you got room Dual Purpose