Ugh I feel like an idiot.

[lswatson111304]

So apparently my thermometer was off....I just got a new digital thermometer/hygrometer today. I had been using a basic non digital one. I know I know, big no no. Anyway, so I set up the digital and watch...and it got up to like 90degrees...My old one read right at 100degrees...so I've been incubating way too low. No wonder the progress seems so slow. Is it possible they will survive through hatching? I mean..is there a time limit they can be in there? I'm assuming so...will they run out of moisture or whatever else they need and die right before they hatch? I'm so worried that will happen. They are alive. I can see tiny little things moving when I candle. It is day 8 right now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Before you do anything drastic, I suggest you calibrate your instruments. Then you really know what you are dealing with.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

Rebel’s Hygrometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/HygrometerCalibration.html

 

[HEChicken]

Whoa!!!! Who says the digital one is more accurate? Digital thermometers are notoriously INaccurate and I prefer the analog myself for accuracy. The best thing is to calibrate it against a known source. If you have live embryos using the analog, I wouldn't go upping the temp by 10 degrees because the digital is not reading the same - you might just kill the embryos because the temp is now too high.

 

[NoseyChickens]

Quote:
I agree! If the temp was low there may be a chance they hatch late. But I wouldnt up the temp by 10* if I wasnt sure which one was right and the eggs are developing.

 

[lswatson111304]

OK, here is what I did. I don't have a probe thermometer. I only have my ones for the kids when they get sick to compare it to. I had 2 eggs that had NO growth at all. They have ? marks on them. I planned to remove them wednesday if I didn't see any obvious growth even though I was 99% sure that they were not doing anything. So I decided to take one out a couple days early. I cracked the tip open and put the thermometer into the middle of the egg. It read right at 99.9 degrees. The thermometer in the bator is reading 100 degrees. That is pretty darn close.

So now what?

 

[lswatson111304]

Also wanted to add I was right about the egg. It had nothing going on in it.

 

[HEChicken]

What about the thermostat for your house (central heat/air)? If you think it is accurate, you can use it to calibrate your themometer. I believe my house thermostat is very accurate so all new thermometers are placed on top of it for several hours. If at the end of that time they read the same temp as the thermostat, then I know the thermometer is pretty accurate too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
Has anyone else done this? It seems simple, I may try it.
Every time I get a thermometer I know it's wrong.

And I agree with the above comments on it being better to be too cool than too hot.