Temperature Troubles: Keeping Conditions Just Right
If there’s one factor that can make or break a hatch, it’s temperature. Chicks developing inside the egg are extremely sensitive — just a degree too high or too low for too long can mean the difference between success and disappointment.
The good news? With the right setup and a little know-how, you can keep conditions steady and give your chicks the best chance to thrive.
1. Why Temperature Matters
- Too low → development slows or may stop completely.
- Too high → chicks may develop abnormally or die before hatching.
- Fluctuations → repeated ups and downs often create weak chicks.
Tip: Aim to keep your incubator within ±0.5°C of the target temperature for consistent results.
2. Calibrating Your Incubator (Start With the Right Tools)
Only calibrate using a trusted, pre-calibrated thermometer or sensor. If you adjust your incubator based on a cheap or inaccurate device, you may actually make things worse.
- Invest in quality sensors. Options like Inkbird, or our upcoming Origin Monitor, can be trusted to give accurate readings. Most cheap hygrometers are inconsistent and create more confusion than clarity.
- Probe placement matters: Place your external sensor probe as close as possible to the incubator’s own probe when comparing readings.
- Make small adjustments and always test before setting eggs — not during incubation.
DON'T Calibrate unless you have a reason to.
Calibration is more complicated than it first appears, and settings can be upset very easily. That’s why we’ll soon release a full blog and video guide on incubator calibration.
In our experience, those who fiddle the least usually get the best results.
3. Room Temperature Matters
Most brands recommend a minimum room temperature of 20°C for stable performance. From our own testing, many incubators still perform reliably down to 15°C — but any colder, and you’ll need to warm the room.
- Keep the incubator in a draft-free, stable room.
- Avoid direct sunlight, heaters, or vents that cause swings.
- If your space dips below 15°C, turn on a heater or relocate your incubator.
4. Hatch Timing: Nature’s Thermometer
Your hatch results can tell you a lot:
- Chicks hatching early? Temperatures were probably running too warm.
- Chicks hatching late? Conditions may have been too cool.
Each hatch is a learning opportunity. Adjust slightly for next time to fine-tune your setup against nature’s own clock.
5. Handling Fluctuations & Power Outages
- Short dips (< 1 hour): most embryos recover fine.
- Longer drops: warm the incubator back up gradually, don’t over-correct.
- Power protection: a small UPS/backup can save a hatch during storms or outages.
👉 Explore our Power Protection range.
Quick Temperature Checklist
- ✔️ Trusted, pre-calibrated sensor in place
- ✔️ Incubator set to 37.5–37.8°C for chickens
- ✔️ Room is stable (20–25°C, workable down to 15°C)
- ✔️ External probe positioned next to the incubator probe for accurate comparisons
- ✔️ Backup plan for power loss
- ✔️ Avoid unnecessary fiddling
Final Thoughts
Temperature stability might sound tricky, but once your setup is right it becomes second nature. Use a sensor you can trust, learn from hatch timing, and avoid unnecessary tinkering. By keeping it simple, you’ll give your chicks the best chance to hatch strong and healthy.
📖 For more background on how egg temperature affects hatch results, see our other articles in the Incubation Troubleshooting Series.
Origin Monitor — Coming Soon
Uneek Poultry’s own Australian-designed and built app is due for release very soon. The app connects to the Origin Monitor Sensors, which come calibrated and ready to use.
No more stress about what you can trust — the Origin Monitor App & Sensors have been designed by us, specifically for the poultry world.
🔧 Recommended Tools & Products
- Power Protection — keep your incubator running through blackouts.
- Thermometers & Hygrometers — quality sensors for accurate calibration.
- Nurture Right 360 — Australia’s favourite 22-egg incubator.
- Origin Series Incubators — designed and supported by Uneek Poultry.