Incubator temp concern (?)

[JimNAZ]

I know there are many posts on this topic but I can't seem to get the answer(s) I need.

I have a mini fridge converted into an incubator. I have an 11" (wide) piece of flexwatt and use a Herpstat thermostat. I also use a Zilla temp gauge as another reading of the inside of the incubator and another Zilla gauge with the probe inside the egg box.

I keep the T-stat and the Zilla (for the incubator) probes on top of the egg box and pretty close to each other. The probe in the egg box is laying on top of the eggs.
The challenge I have is that they are all showing different temps. I trust the Herpstat the best out of the three but the egg box one has a temp of almost 2 degrees higher. I realize that the eggs will put out heat closer to hatching but they are only on their 3rd week since being laid.

I have read many posts and realize that some place the T-sat probe in the egg box and others outside the egg box. But . . . do any of you measure/compare temps inside and outside of the egg box, and what is more important? Should I keep the incubator at 88.5 F or inside the egg box at 88.5 F? Right now the T-stat is at 87 F and the egg box is already 89+ F!

I have already hatched out a clutch of 9 healthy eggs so I guess maybe I should not worry so much but for piece of mind I would like to know. (I was constantly trying to adjust the T-stat to keep the egg box within a small window of 88.5 F.)

Anyway, hope this makes sense and thanks for any answers.

Jim

[bigballs]

i would worry most about the temperature reading inside the egg box.

[dr del]

Hi,

I would say the one in the egg box is the one to pay the most attention to.

But I have seen quite a few people mention their thermometers do not agree all the time - I seem to remember someone suggesting setting them all out in the same place so that you can see the differences and marking that on each one ( standard, -2f, -3.5f, +2.6f kind of thing ) so that they can better judge any actual differences in use.

But, as you say, you have already hatched some fine so I would pay more attention to fluctuations up or down rather than getting them all to agree on a figure.


dr del

[Wh00h0069]

I set my herpstat to 89F and dangle the probe under one of my shelves. I do not check the temps inside the egg tubs. I do not have any issues.

Hope this helps.

[JasonG]

Jim I am just like you. I have a wine fridge and my herpstat said 89.9 and the egg box temps have been right at 88.5-88.9. That was before I got my first clutch this year.

Then I added my clutch of 3 eggs and the temps rose right up to the 89.9. So I adjusted accordingly and had the tstat set to 88.9 and the eggs boxs @ 88.5.

Get this... This morning I wake up and the eggbox temp according to my accurite was 87.6.... Talk about driving me nuts.... LOL Either the accurite is going bad or I am going insane... Because the herpstat was right at 88.9... I think I am going to just follow my herpstat...

[MKHerps]

I am having similar problems. I have a standard fridge with two 65watt Helix heat panels for heating. I have a helix themastat with the probe tied to the bottom of the second shelve (almost the middle of the fridge). My helix thermastat is set a 91. I have multiple thermometers set in the fridge and in my four egg boxes. All say 90-91 on them with 95% humidity. That is as high as the humidity gauge will read. The thermometer in the egg box reads 91 but when i oint my laser temp in the substrate or on the face of the thermometer i get a reading of 86-88. I know that 91 is a little on the high side but i have increased it to try and get my temps in the egg box up. I do not have eggs yet I am expecting on May 31st. So maybe the temp will go up when i put eggs in the box. It hasnt changed any even with my increase by two degrees in the incubator.

[JimNAZ]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up placing a few different thermometers together and figured out the differences based on the T-stat reading. It is just a small annoyance to have different temp readings but hopefully in reality it is the same temp.

Jim

[stratus_020202]

And where are the pictures of these 9 healthy babies?

[Drew87]

Best of luck with the eggs!

[Mike Cavanaugh]

buy a quality temp gun. I stopped using the proped thermometers a long time ago. They will drive you insane if you are a perfectionist.