Water wigglers, any problems with using them? Ventilation?

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Here is a digital version of it and not too expensive. Right now, I am simply taping the probe onto the side of an egg and getting excellent hatches though this seems to be a better way:

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/index.php/eggometer.html

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
Here is a digital version of it and not too expensive. Right now, I am simply taping the probe onto the side of an egg and getting excellent hatches though this seems to be a better way:

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/index.php/eggometer.html

That item looks real good, not expensive either. I like how the egg part can set in line with the real eggs & the meter can be place away in a convenient location. Thanks.

 

[Junglebob]

I've been looking for these water wiggler, water snake , water tubes can't find them not at Dollar General or Walmart and I asked at both, looked all over.

 

[chickenmeadow]

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Only place that I could find them was online. Just do a search. I bought mine online (was it ebay, forgot?), after searching the local stores, later realized that they were shipping from the UK. It took over a week, but arrived in good condition. Maybe try the ziplock bag thing from an earlier post on this thread, a water baloon maybe, or take a look at that inexpensive egg with sensor thingy at site posted earlier also.

 

[thechickonthehill]

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Have been incubating with success, but always frustrated at guessing at just which thermometer is right. First time trying & experimenting with the wiggler & Spot Check; am apprehensive about turning the temp higher based on what it's reading. I'm a chicken!

Just started the eggs in the bator & temps have settled. The "wiggler" with thermometer & the Brinsea Spot Check say 98.4 F. The Springfield digital says 99.5 F & the glass "top of eggs" thermometer says around 99.5 F also. I have 2 Spot Checks that read exactly the same & they are noted to be highly accurate. It looks like, for the eggs, I'm running it a degree low. My hatches are usually a day late, but good hatches (have had bad hatches with higher temps, so using much caution now).

I'm over thinking right now & could use a second (or more) opinion on this new equipment. Thanks!

Well, I have been through 4 hatches this year (and 4 hatches ever). The first 3 hatches I used an Acu-Rite digital hygrometer/thermometer w/probe. I calibrated it before each hatch and noticed that it was further off each time! I can't use the data from my first hatch as I had soooo many other problems with my incubator that I had to switch to a borrowed LG. The second and third hatch though, I used the Acu-Rite and both hatches started early, one of them at day 19 and one at day 18! The second hatch I ended up with only 7 chicks of 24 eggs and the third hatch only 5 of 23 eggs. Of all the eggs that did not hatch, the majority appeared to be full term and had either pipped internally and drowned, pipped externally and died or didn't pip at all. Also both the 2nd and 3rd hatches were draggy once they started, going through day 24. So, for my 4th hatch, I bought a Brinsea Spot check and a GQF hygrometer as I felt neither my temps nor humidity readings had been correct for my previous hatches. In this last hatch (my 4th) the first egg pipped on day 20 and the last on day 21 and 11 of the 14 eggs that were in the bator at lockdown hatched. The 3 that didn't appeared to have died sometime between day 10 and day 18 - they were not completely finished developing. The only other thing that I changed was that I absolutely refused to open the incubator until day 22. Based on my MUCH improved hatch rate, I definitely trust the Brinsea over the Acu-Rite. All of my chicks are healthy and normal. Now, to be fair, none of the eggs in this last batch were shipped and all of the eggs in my 2nd and 3rd were shipped so I'm sure some improvement was due to that factor. I hope this helps you some.

Oh, yes, I used a water wiggler for every hatch too.

 

[chickenmeadow]

chickenonthehill: From one Faverolles egg hatcher to another, best wishes on breeding a fine group of Faverolles; it's a wonderful breed.

Thanks for your comments on using the water wiggler & on your hatches. I'm comfortable now with ditching the other thermometers for air temp measuring & will just use the temp #'s as in the "water wiggler."

Regarding smell, I had also just used the Brinsea Incubation Disinfectant (for cleaning inbetween hatches), it is no rinse & has a little fragrance. The smell that was strong on the first day at starting up the incubator again, was most likely a combo of the wiggler plastic & the sanitizer "gassing out." 3-4 days later (when eggs were set in) there is no smell, all is well on that issue.

Also, I have concluded that the temp of the glass thermometer & the Brinsea Spot Check (very accurate) are the same inside the "water wiggler"; that is what I am using for the temperature to set at 99.5 degrees F in my forced air/fan incubator (instead of judging the air around eggs). Will also try making a wiggler from a ziplock.

*Thanks everyone for sharing your comments, they were all very helpful & informative. Closing this thread now.

 

[Junglebob]

Quote:
Here is a digital version of it and not too expensive. Right now, I am simply taping the probe onto the side of an egg and getting excellent hatches though this seems to be a better way:

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/index.php/eggometer.html

That looks like a great product if the thermometer is accurate. I like the idea of the alarm going off if the temperature goes up or down too much. Anyone have experience using one? $15.99 price sounds good.

Has anyone tried taking a plastic easter egg gluing it together and making a hole in the top, filling it with water and inserting thermometer in the top?

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
Here is a digital version of it and not too expensive. Right now, I am simply taping the probe onto the side of an egg and getting excellent hatches though this seems to be a better way:

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/index.php/eggometer.html

That looks like a great product if the thermometer is accurate. I like the idea of the alarm going off if the temperature goes up or down too much. Anyone have experience using one? $15.99 price sounds good.

Has anyone tried taking a plastic easter egg gluing it together and making a hole in the top, filling it with water and inserting thermometer in the top?

That sounds like a great idea. Just have to seal it all very well, maybe some tape around the middle & a self-sealing stopper for the probe to enter. Hmmmm. I have a Brinsea Spot Check digital probe that is very accurate, but don't want to permanently glue it in.

 

[BirdLova]

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you know it is just a cheap doughnut shapped latex tube filled with liquid from China,
maybe you could try a small water ballon, condom, latex glove, etc.

I think I have seen the wigglers in gum ball machines, they are some of the cheapest toys sold, too cheap to be at the dollar store

 

[Junglebob]

Quote:
That looks like a great product if the thermometer is accurate. I like the idea of the alarm going off if the temperature goes up or down too much. Anyone have experience using one? $15.99 price sounds good.

Has anyone tried taking a plastic easter egg gluing it together and making a hole in the top, filling it with water and inserting thermometer in the top?

That sounds like a great idea. Just have to seal it all very well, maybe some tape around the middle & a self-sealing stopper for the probe to enter. Hmmmm. I have a Brinsea Spot Check digital probe that is very accurate, but don't want to permanently glue it in.

I ordered some egg-o-meters and found them very, very inaccurate so I returned them. A room thermometer is a lot more accurate.