thermometer/hydrometer and incubator temp confusion..

remicuties

Hatching
May 25, 2025
6
2
6
So I recently bought a hovabator 3270 and an incutherm pro therm/hydrometer and doing all the research before I start hatching as I’ll be doing emu eggs and want the most accurate readings possible..
I saw the salt test with hydrometers, still confused..
What reading am I supposed to be using when checking humidity and temp of my bator? The incubators readings… or the thermometers?
Also do both the incubator and thermometer need to be calibrated to read the same..?

I saw a video on recalibrating the temperature of the specific incubator I got and it made me even more confused.

Let’s say I salt test this incutherm and it reads a degree above 75% (given no matter what the salt test is 75%) do I just add a 1 to every reading I do with the thermometer in my incubator? Or Is there a little button I can press to recalibrate?
But again.. what purpose does an incubators temperature reading have if all I am doing is using another thermometer to get what the temp and humidity is inside it?

Someone enlighten me on what to do as I wanna get these things calibrated when they come in so I can have the most successful hatch possible 🤞
 
Most incubators are not calibratable, but they are all changeable. Meaning, you can't alter what it believes to be 99.5. But if you're thermometer says it's actually 99F. Then you'd set your incubator to 100.

It's rare for an incubator to be correct. If it starts out correct, it won't stay that way so needs to be checked prior to and during every hatch.

With humidity, the same thing, except it's not quite as critical. Since yours is only off by 1% I'd tend to not worry about that. The temperature though, I would.


To test your thermometer:
For temperature, put your thermometer in a sealed Ziplock bag. Then fill a large bowl with ice, crushed ice is best if you have it. Fill it almost to the top with water and stir it around. Toss your thermometer in there. It might take a few minutes, but it should read 32F.

 
Most incubators are not calibratable, but they are all changeable. Meaning, you can't alter what it believes to be 99.5. But if you're thermometer says it's actually 99F. Then you'd set your incubator to 100.

It's rare for an incubator to be correct. If it starts out correct, it won't stay that way so needs to be checked prior to and during every hatch.

With humidity, the same thing, except it's not quite as critical. Since yours is only off by 1% I'd tend to not worry about that. The temperature though, I would.


To test your thermometer:
For temperature, put your thermometer in a sealed Ziplock bag. Then fill a large bowl with ice, crushed ice is best if you have it. Fill it almost to the top with water and stir it around. Toss your thermometer in there. It might take a few minutes, but it should read 32F.
Thanks for the tip, I’m gonna try the crushed ice when the incutherm comes in the mail also going to do the salt test for humidity, also considering buying a humidikit but I want opinions first..
Also seen people use govees to monitor but problem is I’d only use it if I’m outside my house and if something fluctuated I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it anyways so..
Maybe no govee but still want opinions on humidikit
 
A few years ago before I bought the Brinsea 56X's automatic, I borrowed my neighbor's hovibator and she had the humidikit. I didn't know any different back then, but that is a "set it and forget it" like these Brinseas are. I only used hers for the one hatch, but if I had to again, I'd certainly have used the humidity attachment.

As for hygrometer/thermometers, we have about 6 Govees, and those I like because you can calibrate them. We use them in the brooders too.

I bought these to use in the incubators during incubation, as they fit better. They are non-calibratable, but they were set perfectly.
 
A few years ago before I bought the Brinsea 56X's automatic, I borrowed my neighbor's hovibator and she had the humidikit. I didn't know any different back then, but that is a "set it and forget it" like these Brinseas are. I only used hers for the one hatch, but if I had to again, I'd certainly have used the humidity attachment.

As for hygrometer/thermometers, we have about 6 Govees, and those I like because you can calibrate them. We use them in the brooders too.

I bought these to use in the incubators during incubation, as they fit better. They are non-calibratable, but they were set perfectly.
Since they’re non calibratable how do you read them?? how do you know they’re set accurately? Do you just take an average % from them..?
I looked at the listing it said it came from medical supplies and I know those people need like accurate stuff but you never know..
Also edit: I bought some just from the eBay reviews alone staying on accuracy but still a reply would help on what you did with yours :)

I think with the bator, the humidikit and the thermometers I bought I may have a good chance at hatching these three emu eggs.. I just have to do the turning and I figured if I set alarms on my phone I won’t forget to do them.
of course they could always just be infertile but I hope that doesn’t become the case I can’t imagine all 3 being so.
 

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