Little Giant Incubator - temp management in the final days?

[thesquibb]

I have a still air incubator and am using the auto egg turner. I am at day 12 with incubation. When I get to day 18, I am supposed to take the eggs out of the turner and set them on the base of the incubator. My question is around the temp difference from being in the turner vs the base of the incubator. Currently, the top 1/3 of the eggs maintain a temp of 99.5-100. However, at the base of the incubator, the temp is around 95. When I place them on the base, am I supposed to turn up the heat to bring up the temp at the base to 99.5? There is nothing in the manual about my situation. I am also concerned of turning up the heat or even touching the temp adjustment because of how difficult it is to adjust and maintain.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi
Glad you could join the flock! The usual incubation temp for still air is 101-102 farenheight. Are your eggs on target in development for the day they are on? My advice to you would be to put your eggs into lockdown as normal remove the turner and let the incubator settle for at least an hour. With the eggs been lower and the turner removed the heat/air will need time to move to the lower part of the incubator. At day 18 your chicks should be producing their own heat in the egg and a short temp variation should not be a problem for them. It would just be like mother hen getting off the nest for food etc. if after leaving it to settle it hasn't settled then slightly turn up the temp but allow it to settle in between any adjustments.

Wishing you the very best of luck

 

[thesquibb]

Thank you for the info. Just above the eggs, the temp is 101, so if the thermometer was sitting on the eggs, it would probably read 100-101. I am using a thermometer that I can stick through one of the vents and adjust the height to get the different levels of temp. I believe the eggs are on track. Attached is a pick from day 7. Is there a good resource to see if they are on track? I candled them again today and it appears that I lost one, as it looks like a ring in the egg.

In regards to adjusting the heat, I am nervous about it because of how difficult it is to set and dont want to cook them on the final days. What about placing the mesh base on top of the turner? This way the eggs would be at the same height (while laying on their side as they would be if they were in the turner.) But then I guess after the chicks hatch and stand up, they might be too close to the heat coils.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Here are some candling pics in this link for you to compare your eggs too https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=230
I think your right about them being too close to the heat. So would lockdown as normal don't adjust and let the incubator settle before taking a reading at the top of your eggs again. The air should settle then.

 

[seminolewind]

I do keep my eggs at 99.5 and 100, and I would go with the temp at the level at the top of the eggs. Like a thermometer laying on the eggs. Turn them several times a day. With still air, I would even go a bit higher like 100 to 100.5. I never go any higher or lower than those temps. It also helps to re arrange the eggs when you turn them so the outer ones become the inner ones. I've always turned by hand. Makes me feel useful. To help keep the temp more stable, lay a piece of bubble wrap laying on top of the window