Thermometer debate?

[crooked stripe]

Now setting up the bator again and have inserted a water Wiesel in the turner. I have 3 thermometers all digital and they all read within 3 degrees of each other. Lower one 99 and the highest is 102. Which one do I trust. (confused)

John

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
This topic is being beat to death, must be hatching season.

My reccomendation is use a good digital oral thermometer in the wiggler.
Make sure the wiggler has been in the bator for 5 hours. If the wiggler
is 99.5 then the air temp should be around 100 to 100.5. Now you will
know which of your 3 thermos are correct.

Remember temps vary in incubators, especially styrofoam ones.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Always average the three and then use the one that comes closest. Also remember that if you are in doubt that it is best to err on the side of incubating cooler than hotter. Man, thermometer discrepancies drive me crazy!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Only average the temps if you know all three are accurate. One bad
thermo can throw off an average badly.

Drake you are SO correct about thermo discrepancies. They are maddening.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

You're right PurpleChicken. If one is waaaaay off don't use it for your average. But make sure you have at least three good temp readings to average.

Another way to be close is to take your own body temp with a fever thermometer and then calibrate the readings to that.

And yes, I just about lost my mind when I was incubating last year. My husband just couldn't understand how I got so worked up! LOL I couldn't even trust my body temp, because I have a regularly low one. LOL

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
I'm laughing cause I can SO relate with that. If I was a broody hen my eggs would
never hatch.

Anyone know a source of good oldfashioned mercury thermometers? I can't even
find them on Ebay!!!


Side note:
Everyone should be careful with oral type thermometers. These are contact
thermometers and don't give accurate air temp readings.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Please read this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32659

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes again, Purple Chicken. If you put the fever thermometers into a container of water that has been in the incubator long enough to get to incubator temp, they will read fine.

LOL Purple Chicken. I wondered why you were purple. . . I get blue hands when it is really cold. Brrrrr. I guess we should be glad we aren't broody hens.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Oh I'm laughing again.

Mine is usually high. It worked so well for me
in school. "I don't feel well." - "You do have a slight temp maybe you should go home"


Oh and the purple thing is a TOTALLY different reason. I can't mention it here.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

OK, I'll let you off on the purple thing.

Didn't know you were such a hottie, PurpleChicken.