Where to put an incubator for a summer hatch

[hfchristy]

I want to get an incubator set up today, one of the cheapie foam ones, and am having a hard time finding a good spot away from windows, heaters, air conditioners, sunlight.

I thought I had a good spot last time, with a borrowed Hova-Bator. When they started hatching, though, ALL of the eggs that were visible had pipped before ANY of the eggs below the other window. There ended up being two full days between the two groups of eggs hatching. While we were waiting for the last of the eggs to hatch, I realized that a book shelf cast a shadow on the slow side of the incubator, and must have been enough to keep them a little bit cooler. So, I don't want to underestimate the importance of location again.

If it's out of the direct blowing of the air conditioner, is an air conditioned room okay? I've read that you want a constant room temp of 75-80 degrees for foam incubators to regulate properly, but the part of the house that is typically 75-80 degrees will get much, much hotter when we have a 90 degree spell like last week!

Is it better to be in a warmish room, or a room that can be kept a constant temperature, even if it's cold?

 

[RAST]

Mine is in the AC in the back room of our house. But it is thinly insulated plywood, not foam. It could not regulate the temp in my tin barn, too hot already. It is next to a west window with curtains, but is working fine there.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Is it better to be in a warmish room, or a room that can be kept a constant temperature, even if it's cold?

The best hatches I get is when I incubate in our basement. It's a deep, 9' basement and it is cold. Year around cold. 59F.

It's also just nice in humidity. I add no water at all until first pip. Upstairs is just too up and down in temps. Yes, the incubator reports that it's mechanism is keeping the temp steady as a rock, upstairs. Yet? Not good hatches. So, I'm a big, big believer. Constant is temp and no swings in ambient humidity is perfect.