Thermometer placement

[cattbird]

I have a little digi thermometer, which I have to place with the eggs on the bottom of the incubator floor.

Will the temperature requirements still be 99.5? or lower? As I read the temp measurement is to be taken at the top of the egg.

I am having one last try to hatch my miniature Silkie eggs, which are going in tomorrow eve. Fingers crossed please everyone!!

 

[dancingbear]

Is it still air or forced air? Do you have fan in the incubator? if you do, it's forced air. The temp requirements are different. 99.5-100F is for forced air, at the middle of the eggs. Actually, with forced air, the temp should be pretty even, there shouldn't be much difference between top and bottom. But still air is 102.5F at the top of the eggs. The bottom will be cooler. I don't know for sure how much cooler. The temperature will be different in different layers. Cooler at the bottom, warmer at the top.

Why can't you put some small item, like a small plastic box or an end cut off of an egg carton, and set the thermometer on that to bring it up to egg-top level? I saw on another thread you said you have to put the thermometer on the bottom, and I don't understand why you can't do one of the things other people do? You could cut a piece of cardboard from a shoe box and lay it across some of the eggs, or before you set the eggs, on top of some egg-height size something, and put the thermometer on that to check the top temp. Then, once you know that's right, you could lay it on the bottom, let the temp stabilize again, and see what that reads. Then you'd know what temp you need to keep the bottom.

Can you post a pic of the thermometer? Does it have a probe on a wire, like most? Can you tape it to a plastic Easter egg and place the egg in with the real ones? you could stick a blob of clay or tape a rock to the inside so one side will stay down, and the therm stay on the top. there are kinds of ways you could place the therm at egg top level. I'm sure there are scores of ways to do it this.

Why not post a question about how to place the thermometer at the correct level?

BTW, do you have a liquid or mercury type thermometer at all? The digitals are sometimes not very accurate. I have one that reads all over the place, I quit using it and stick to the liquid one. One of the ones with the red stuff in it. (I think they're tinted alcohol.) I checked the liquid one by putting a regular mercury fever thermometer in to see what it came to. Those stay won't go back down by themselves, you hae to shake them down, so they're no good for monitoring, but to see if your others are accurate, they're pretty good.

 

[Pick-a-LilyFarm]

This is what I do...I take the thermometer/hygrometer, and make a little stand for it, and place it in the middle of the eggs in the incubator under the heater/thermostat. I try to keep it at the level of the top of the eggs, and mine is a still air LG, no turner. I try to keep the temperature at 101.5-102.5 during the day...it fluctuates a little, but that is okay. Lowest temp reaches around 100.9 in the morning around 7:30am and now at 8:50pm it is 102.4. I have great success doing it this way...Good Luck!

 

[Pick-a-LilyFarm]

Oh, and to make a little stand for the thermometer/hygrometer, I take one of those small plastic fruit cups that hold Mott's applesauce, and cut down the sides, so that with the thermometer it is just level with the eggs, but you can use a metal jar cover, yogurt container cut down, or something like that...play around with it and see what you can come up with...

 

[cattbird]

Thanks.

I had thought about putting it on top of the eggs but wasnt sure if this would effect the temp of the eggs that it was on?

My incubator is a tiny round one, and is full of eggs so no room to place it on anything, except the eggs! Because it is curcular it is impossible to blue tack or velcro attach it to the sides either!

 

[dancingbear]

Maybe the incubator is the problem. I haven't seen many good comment about those little round ones. Good luck.

 

[cattbird]

Oh I hope not

I really couldnt afford anything else. Someone must have had some success with them surely, other wise they'd not be on the market?

 

[dancingbear]

What kind do you have? What's the brand and model? I know there are plenty on here who have tried them, if you give some specifics, maybe somebody can tell you how to improve the odds.

 

[kagedgoddess]

Quote:

my lg still air directions say 99.5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are my chicks gonna die??? this is my first time hatching! this is SO STRESSFUL!!!!

 

[kathyinmo]

my lg still air directions say 99.5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are my chicks gonna die??? this is my first time hatching! this is SO STRESSFUL!!!!

Mine says the same thing. Stick with your instructions, on that part. I keep mine at 99.5, give or take.​