- May 29, 2008
- 955
- 5
- 141
So my first and second, and third tries at hatching failed miserably. I admit, I tried making a home made incubator and had trouble regulating the temps on the first two batches. I finally broke down and bought an LG with an egg turner for the third hatch, but as time went on, more and more of my eggs were eliminated as I candled. I lost two dozen guinea eggs when the llittle window in the top of the incubator fell out when I took it off to turn the goose eggs in there at the same time. I didn't notice til morning.
Anyway, this time I decided to try again and be way more careful, so I went looking for a good thermometer/hygrometer. I checked Wal-Mart, but theirs stated right on the package it could be off by as much as 2 degrees. Good grief! So I went to the feed store in that town (not mine, there's nothing half so big as a Wal-Mart where I live). Nada, but they sent me to the local pet store--who sold me a unit that the lady said she used in her reptile tank and was very accurate.
I'm expecting a shipment of eggs in a couple of days so I sterilized the bator, pulled out the new thermometer, and my 'Waether Channel' digital thermometer and stuck them in there. Ack! Even though my settings hadn't changed at all, the temps went straight to 110 degrees (my thermometer broke halfway through the last batch and I couldn't buy anything new where i live.) Maybe that's why the babies all died. Or Maybe the temp setting just got bumped. I have no idea.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble. My two good thermometers are reading the same humidity in the incubator, but they are 1 1/2 degrees in difference from each other. Do I go with the digital one that is a bit older, but has pretty new batteries, or the other one that reads a bit higher? I couldn't stand to kill another batch of eggs, especially since I'll have paid out lots of $$ for the eggs.
Anyway, this time I decided to try again and be way more careful, so I went looking for a good thermometer/hygrometer. I checked Wal-Mart, but theirs stated right on the package it could be off by as much as 2 degrees. Good grief! So I went to the feed store in that town (not mine, there's nothing half so big as a Wal-Mart where I live). Nada, but they sent me to the local pet store--who sold me a unit that the lady said she used in her reptile tank and was very accurate.
I'm expecting a shipment of eggs in a couple of days so I sterilized the bator, pulled out the new thermometer, and my 'Waether Channel' digital thermometer and stuck them in there. Ack! Even though my settings hadn't changed at all, the temps went straight to 110 degrees (my thermometer broke halfway through the last batch and I couldn't buy anything new where i live.) Maybe that's why the babies all died. Or Maybe the temp setting just got bumped. I have no idea.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble. My two good thermometers are reading the same humidity in the incubator, but they are 1 1/2 degrees in difference from each other. Do I go with the digital one that is a bit older, but has pretty new batteries, or the other one that reads a bit higher? I couldn't stand to kill another batch of eggs, especially since I'll have paid out lots of $$ for the eggs.
