Just a warning, this is lengthy and I do apologize!
So I have a question for everyone using cabinet incubators, the GQF brand in particular. Does anyone have or ever had problems with the temperature varying from the top to the bottom of the incubator? Now I'm not just talking about a fraction of a degree, I mean like 3 degrees or so. For the longest time we had the thermometer probe inserted just a bit below the top shelf, which is where the fan is at the back of that shelf. One day I put a different thermometer in the second rack down just wanting to see if the two read the same, when it read warmer I then put them side by side to check accuracy and that's when I made the discovery that we were evidently baking our babies a little too warm, well make that a lot too warm. I was amazed afterwards that my 3 chicks that hatched even did so. I found that right at the shelf is a lot cooler than 8 inches below it, then it gradually gets cooler again on the way down the different racks. Since I've made the heat adjustments and have the thermometer riding directly on the eggs now we've had some chicks hatch. We still don't have great hatches, but much better than nothing. Anyway I can't help but wonder if something could be done to keep a better temp throughout the whole incubator. Another thing is I'm curious if there's still too much temp fluctuation for the eggs just with the egg turner, being as the eggs on the edges are constantly being held higher and closer to that cooler shelf then being rotated back down of course. I don't know, maybe I'm being way too paranoid now, but it would be nice to get a few more chicks out before we have to quit soon.
Well, if anyone has some tricks, suggestions, things you do yourself or anything of the nature please pass them on. I appreciate it and hope everyone else is doing well with their birds.
Rebekah