Thermometers

[ScottyGill]

I’m all sorted out with my humidity and worked out with salt test how the hygrometers are set. The outside humidity is 57%. The humidity in the box Is about 40. But the temperature on the hygrometer reads 36.5. My box is Fan operated and set to 37.5 I put in a food thermometer but it doesn’t do 1/2 and stuck at 37degrees and then I put in a digital medical one. And it read 38 and now It’s reading 37.2. I ran the incubator 1% higher last night thinking it wasn’t running warm enough. tomorrow I shall be getting from amazon a more expensive (should it follow a better?) hygrometer (I know how to test it) plus a chemical bulb thermometer, ie not a medical one. Goodness I got such a lecture today from the chemist when I asked for a traditional type thermometer. Thank goodness for amazon prime. I feel like I’m practicing on these poor wee eggs. What I’m hoping is if I’ve done anything horrifically wrong I will know sooner rather than later from candling. I don’t think anything has gone above or below the safe temp area I saw on a Brinsea website. It’s not been below 35 or above 39. I’ve decided to just leave it at the box setting for now and see what tomorrow’s instruments read. But how on earth do you know which thermometer is correct. I don’t want drown or suffocated chicks to tell me I got it wrong! There better be maximum joy for all this worry. And I think I’m just venting here.

 

[ScottyGill]

If your reading this my learning curve is huge. Of to calibrate my digital thermometer. Thank you google. I know all this should have been done before putting those precious eggs in but I honestly didn’t know that I couldn’t trust my machine till I got on this forum

 

[ScottyGill]

I’ve worked out how to calibrate a thermometer. Just hope everything is ok. I should have worked this out but didn’t know my box wasn’t magical

 

[casportpony]

I should have worked this out but didn’t know my box wasn’t magical

Welcome to BYC!
Yeah, I feel your pain. What incubator are you using?

 

[ScottyGill]

It’s called a womdee, it came up as the amazon No 1 choice. Actually after all this I went in last night and it was reading 37.5 on the hygrometer too. I then found another article which says temps do go up and down a bit and not to worry. I’m like a worried first time mum ​

 

[ScottyGill]

This is my incubator and I officially am happy with it. I got a really good Thermometer, a laboratory one and it’s exactly 37.5 degrees. We’ve just Had a huge thunder storm and look at the room humidity! 69% inside it’s 43% so I think it’s doing a very good job. I’ve marked my eggs and they are getting properly rolled too! I think I just need to sit back and enjoy the ride but I’ll let you know how the candlling goes!

 

[Erba]

I just got the very same incubator and am on day 10. I try to keep it around 55% percent humidity but it's a bit fiddly to do. Outside humidty is currently 70%. Just a splash of water brings it back up to from 40% to 55%. I saw a video where the guy did a dry incubation in the same machine..not sure how the results turned out though. As long as it is not too high or too low, I don't think it matters as much as the temperature until lockdown. Like you I'm pretty impressed with this bargain incubator. I only got 9 eggs in because my Light Sussex have very large eggs and I wanted them turned correctly. How did your hatch turn out?

 

[ScottyGill]

Hi I think my hatch date is next wed/Thursday. I’ve done so much reading but mine is kept a stable 40 and any time I added a splash of water it shoots up. We’re in a really humid area 75% in the air the day. Not good for us!! The air cells look fine but my challenge will be next week how much water ro add to get humidity up. We got our brooder box all set up and ready to go. I candled Thursday night and saw clear veins and embryos dancing in a couple. One I’m sure It’s just a yoke and the others which were darker thicker shells look dark shapes and clear air cells. It’s looking ok I think

 

[ScottyGill]

Also I read a detailed article about dry incubation and he said things went better. I decided it’s less stressful. Goodness I hope I made the right choice!!!!

 

[Erba]

Oh, I think I will stop adding water now too, makes sense and life a lot easier, also I just read about chicks drowning in their eggs! I am going to candle them this evening and see how they are developing.