Thermometer and Hygrometer trouble

[ske1806]

I am incubating 12 guinea eggs and have been trying to establish a certain temperature and humidity for a still air styrofoam incubator and every thermometer and hydrometer I put in there reads differently. What are others doing about this issue? I have one thermometer at 99 F and the one that came with it at 102 and humidity is all over the place some hygrometers reading 58 but others 43.

Also I only waited about 6 hours to set the eggs after they arrived in the mail -- what problems could this cause?

 

[panner123]

No one wants to hear this, but it takes at least 3 days to set up a bator from the time you start it until you set the eggs. With mass in it and water, this gives you a chance to see what it is going to do. Everyone just wants to plug it in, set the eggs and hope for the best. It doesn't work that way in real life. It takes time to do it right. This is the main reason people down grade the LG bator. I am lucky because the rooms I put the bators in have a stable temperture between 68 and 70 degrees. No drafts or direct sunlight. A few deccades of pratice doen't hurt, but with some failed attempts you will get it right.

 

[Scott]

You also have to keep in mind that not all thermometers are as accurate as they should be. For instance, I purchased a exo-terra digital thermometer. The kind intended for reptile cages. It was not very accurate. The best digital thermometer I've used is the Brinsea Spot Check. Its accurate within 0.1 degree.

 

[ske1806]

Thanks -- that's what I was getting at: the thermometers and hygrometers are just not very accurate! -- does everyone just get a very expensive thermometer? What are the best/cheapest? What about Hygrometers?

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
I think basic is the best... I trust my glass liquid thermometers and my non digital hygrometers over the expensive digital ones anyday... In fact I have a $40 hygrometer in my bator right now that is reading 97 degrees and 37% humidity when I know for a fact from two glass liquid thermomters right next to it and the cheap non digital hygrometers that it is in fact 100 degress and 45% humidity... And digitals can also take several hours to say what the temp is so when you are reading them you may be getting the temp and humidity it was hours ago... Brinsea spotcheck is just to expensive when a glass thermometer can do the same job... I like the large glass liquid thermometers that Brinsea has that are $10 each and I got my cheap hygrometers which are small and round and have gold or brass looking medal on them on ebay for $4 each...

 

[Junglebob]

I'm using a medical thermometer to set the temperature in my Hovabator. It is a Omron medical thermometer that is supposed to be accurate to within .2 a degree plus or minus. I bought it at Walmart in the Pharmacy Dept. for about $3. I also have one a Reli-on that is supposed to give reading in about 9 seconds, nothing on package on accuracy and seems to be about .5 degree difference. I have a little plastic cup about 1" tall (communion cup) with water in it that I check the temperature of. Has anyone done this to check temperature? This is my first time incubating eggs. I tried finding a Water Weasel, Water Tube etc. no luck at Walmart or Dollar General, I'm thinking this may work as well. I'm figuring if water is about 99.5 I'm good. How low can the temperature be an eggs hatch?