What is the best thermometer to use in your incubator!!!!

[Conway]

I just purchased a Analogue Incubator Hygrometer & Thermometer but if I put two of the normal thermometer (red liquid) the two give me 9-10 degree higher. Is there a reason for this.
Regards
Conway

 

[Nakihunter]

I am new here. I am also new to incubation.

Just bought a Chinese air forced incubator 50 egg capacity.

I set 56 ring necked pheasant eggs. Manual turning.

I got a cheap digital thermometer & humidity gauge. I put that on the mesh where the egg sit.

I was getting a steady 37.5 C = 99.5F with 54% humidity with the small channel full of water.

A few days later the glass buld GQF thermometer arrived. This is the standard equipment for one of the American incubators.

I put this on the tray & got 100.5F. I got really concerned. I then put 2 clinical thermometers in and they showed totally differnt readings. I got really confused and worried.

While reading up on this site and others I found that the thermometer is supposed to sit on the eggs. So I put the CFG on the eggs and got 102F which really upset me. So reduced the thermostat and put the digital thermometer also on the eggs.

Now I get 37.5 C digital and 99.5F in the GQF on top of the eggs.

I just hope they are right.

I am still worried that I might have hurt the eggs with the higher temperature for 7 days.

 

[ChickenPooDo]

So What happened? Did the higher temperature hurt the eggs?

 

[Nakihunter]

Please see my other thread on the setting & hatch.

I got a probe thermometer digital as well.

I got another glass liquid thermometer (blue) which was from one of the Incubator companies and they said it was the standard one they used. It had much larger tube & more number of gradations.

Firstly I started measuring all at the height of the top of the eggs. 3 were placed on top of the eggs & the probe was hanging at the same level.

Ultimately I got all 4 thermometers to read withing 1C of each other..

The GQF was the hardest to read s it was small and the gradations were 2 degrees each & so it was impossible to identify 99.5F

I got the first pips on day 24. Hatch started on day 25 with 3 chicks, day 26 was a few more & day 27 the rest. On day 28 I closed the hatch. I tried to help 4 chicks out of the shell but none survived.

Total 24 hatched. 20 or so were dead in shell - post 20 days. A couple were early dead. 4 were infertile and with blastroderm still visible., The rweest were liquid when I broke them open - early dead or infertile??

So 43% hatch with this incubator on my first effort.

Chicks are now 3 weeks old. Lost one on day 1 - one of the weak ones I helped out of the shell. Last week one of them flew out of the cardboard box enclosure and got stuck between the cardboard sheets & died probably of the cold.

I will be moving them to the hen house next week.

 

[peepdaddy]

I have a FI 2255 incubator. Last year I incubated twice. Had a very low hatch rate both times and the few that did hatch were weak. I believe the issue was a low temp so I'm currently trying to figure this out. When I set the built in digital thermometer temp for 99.5 a thermometer I placed inside (on the top of some plastic eggs) read 97.5. With the built in digital thermometer on the top now set for 102 degrees, I placed 3 other thermometers inside at various levels and various distances from the heat source. The temp readings on the inside vary by 4 degrees from the lowest (the thermometer on the top of the eggs) to 100 degrees reading on a thermometer laying on the egg turner at the periphery . None read the 102 degrees that I set the temp for. The thermometers are of various types and I have switched their positions. It's a bit of a puzzle and all I can tentatively conclude is that the built in digital can't be relied upon. Any suggestions?

 

[Nakihunter]

Yup. I was going nuts too!

I tried to break it down to the simplest scenario - 99.5 at egg height. I just ignored the variables on the mesh, on the sides, probe hanging above egg etc - NOT relevant to our goal.

I decided I would not try to understand the complex stuff as I am not Einstein! LOL!

So all my thermometers at the top of the eggs were within 1C. I found the GFQ was highest and least reliable gradation to read.

The Brisnea is specifically used in small incubators. This was very reliable and fortunately matched the digital one and the probe on the eggs - http://incubationexperts.com/brinsea-glass-incubator-thermometer-139-p.asp

This is my digital - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Min...32705737570.html?spm=2114.40010508.4.9.bjy88I

This is my probe model - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...lt&btsid=16d66790-8fd5-4cb8-ae37-d72635924998


Next time I incubate eggs, I will put a small flat piece of polystyrene as high as the eggs & keep my digital & Brisnea thermometers on it so I can read them without opening the incubator. I would also have the probe at the same level & display outside. I will not use the GFQ red one.

Secondly I will only open the incubator for turning eggs 3 times a day.

I will make sure the humidity reading on my digital is constant & increase it for last 3 days of hatch

If I can get 43% hatch with this incubator on my first hatch, I am confident I can do better next time.

I also know that my eggs were a range of 16 days old. Next time I will not use eggs more than 8 days ol, even if I have to set less eggs. Or I will source the eggs from someone else.

Good luck to you.

 

[peepdaddy]

Thanks!

 

[Livingskies]

This was an informative thread, thank you! I too am struggling with temps on my first hatch and am up to 5 thermometers and 2 hygrometers. Will check out the ones mentioned.