Temp variation limits

[JaeG]

Hopefully someone will be along to answer that question. I hand turn all my eggs (mostly because I'm hatching teeny little Button quail eggs) so I'm no use in this department.

 

[MightyMama]

So in more experimentation, I learned that the outer most spots in the incubator are staying much colder (98.3ish) compared to the middle. Do I need to turn it up higher so the sides are warmer, or will it even out when there are eggs in it?

 

[MightyMama]

Omg! I'm starting to freak out. I tested a different part of the incubator and now I'm getting 95-96 degree readings!!! What am I supposed to do? If I raise the temp, the one side is too high, but if I leave it, the other side will be way too cold. Help!

 

[JaeG]

One thing you could do would be to carefully rearrange the eggs so they are in a different spot every day. That would average out the temperature.

You could try adding some bottles of water or big stones to retain heat and see if that helps even out the temperature.

Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[MightyMama]

If I move them often, will it make more less likely to hatch? Should I switch them back and forth with the same eggs to risk losing less or move them all to make them all about the same??

I didn't think it would be this hard, and I equally wasn't expecting the breeders to gift me with so many extras "just in case" - she had some super unique imported lines and she gave me a whole extra dozen.

 

[JaeG]

If I move them often, will it make more less likely to hatch? Should I switch them back and forth with the same eggs to risk losing less or move them all to make them all about the same??

I didn't think it would be this hard, and I equally wasn't expecting the breeders to gift me with so many extras "just in case" - she had some super unique imported lines and she gave me a whole extra dozen.

Lucky you! I'm not sure so I'm going to call a few people and see if they have any ideas:
@Pyxis
@Wickedchicken6
@casportpony

This lovely person is worried about the temperature gradient in her incubator and needs help to figure out what to do.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I apologize! I was away yesterday and just saw the tag now.

You mentioned earlier:

"Only one day left to figure this out for my first time. Circulated air, egg turner, LG.

When temp is set to 99.7, variation is from 98.45 to 100.6, but over the course of 5-6 hours averages about 99.6

When set to 99.8, variations from 98.89 to 100.8, again averaging about 99.6.

When set to 99.9, it no longer dips to 98 but the high is hitting 101.3.

Where would you set it? My guess would be 99.8, but I'm concerned about the lows being that low..."

I have a few questions.

1) Does this particular incubator have a fan for circulation?

2) What is the average temperature when once your incubator is set at the last setting of 99.9?

3) What is measuring the temperature in the incubator? Do you have separate thermometers and have they been calibrated? (Or did I miss that? I haven't been to bed yet)

4) Do you have your incubator in an area with stable temperatures, free of drafts and/or heat like sitting near a window with exposure to the sun?



Here's my short answers to the information you've already given.

First of all and most important, take a deep breath. I do understand the stress incubating can put on a person, especially when you are new to it. So far you are doing fine. Actually better you're doing better than fine because you've educated yourself.

Please know that unless the incubator gets much too hot and cooks the eggs, one day at 99.3 should not be detrimental to the eggs. Around day five of incubation, I've had eggs left cold for approx 11 hours in 6 C temps (43 F). I've also had eggs left out for 12 hours and then brought in and finished for the remainder of the incubation. (I've even had an egg left cold for 60 hours then put back into incubation and she hatched. I just saw her interested in the nest boxes!) Hopefully, this will help to put you at ease.

I'm much more familiar with incubation with a fan as that's all I've ever done. If it were me, I'd choose one of the last two temps; 99.8 or 99.9 as long as you are 100% certain that IS the temperature in the incubator. Thermometers require proper calibration. I also would not trust the incubator's temperature reading unless calibrated. I shoot for approx. 100 with my incubator with calibrated thermometers for the different egg levels. It uses a wafer thermometer and once shut the fluctuations are only .3-.5 degrees.

I would say you want to shoot for the average temperature once everything has levelled out. If you open the lid to move eggs around, the temperature should stabilize fairly quickly since the eggs are already the proper temperature. Others have also used heat sinks as mentioned earlier in the thread. i haven't used this method, but I think it's a good idea if you find lots of fluctuation.

I don't use a turner, but from my understanding...the eggs near the motor should be moved because of the heat generated by the turner motor. I constantly shift my eggs down the line and then over to the next row. I hand turn so I open my incubator quite a lot.

Here is a pic of my homemade incubator with four levels of eggs in it. I take all the eggs out and hand turn them individually in their racks. I will shift the racks around in the incubator instead of the individual eggs when I have this many in it. It makes things easier to keep track of.

I'm hoping this will also put you at ease to see that this can be done and chicks can be hatched from this. (Please note: The digital thermometer is not reading the correct temperature.)

See the chick hatched in the bottom. Also, note the one light burnt out during the night. Not detrimental enough to cause damage when out for such a short time.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I'd like to add that too low of a temperature can be deadly. I've lost two hatches with having the temperature too cold. Only two chicks in each hatch were viable; one chick had to be dispatched because of developmental issues.

 

[MightyMama]

1) Does this particular incubator have a fan for circulation?

Yes

2) What is the average temperature when once your incubator is set at the last setting of 99.9?

That was where it was perfect, just to the right of the fan (under the window). I took everything out to wash it (yeah I should have done it first, but I was excited and wanted to plug it in and play with it) and when I turned it on again (and let it sit over night) the reading is way off than it was before in the other areas of the incubator. The front corners being the most extreme at 95-96, but the middle front still only reading 97-98, and the first area reading perfect. I raised the temperature last night to try to accommodate more of the incubator (haven't checked on it yet...answering this on my phone).

I really want to set them today because I just realized she gave me a lot of older eggs from a bit more than a week ago...and it was so cold on top of it. Which might not affect her hatch rate with a fancy incubator and tons of experience, but I'm really worried about mine.

3) What is measuring the temperature in the incubator? Do you have separate thermometers and have they been calibrated? (Or did I miss that? I haven't been to bed yet)

Yes, my husband gave me a bunch of his fancy work thermometers.


4) Do you have your incubator in an area with stable temperatures, free of drafts and/or heat like sitting near a window with exposure to the sun?

Yes

 

[Wickedchicken6]

The front corners being the most extreme at 95-96, but the middle front still only reading 97-98, and the first area reading perfect. I raised the temperature last night to try to accommodate more of the incubator (haven't checked on it yet...answering this on my phone).

I have a difficult time imagining that much variance within your incubator. The fan in mine creates quite a wind turbulence and I've found that it can be slightly cooler to the front of the fan. But variance within the rest of the incubator I showed you is very small, definitely within a degree...I'm thinking more like .5-.75 of a degree.

I'd love to hear from someone who has experience with an LG! I hope someone with one can chime in.