Arizona Chickens

[Coffee N Chickens]

That’s a bummer
Maybe order the eggs and try again?

Early this morning I PMed her to say I that want to wait until after the poultry show. Right now the two breeds that top my list are Light Sussex and Welsummer. Maybe someone at the show might have some hatching eggs. Somebody nearby is selling 3 month old Wyandottes, so that's a possibility, too.

 

[igorsMistress]

Ok, i can do that... i was concerned about the light from the heat lamp bothering my big girls...
Do you think they REALLY need the heat lamp? My house is 78-80.. gets to 76 at night. There's 5 little ones cuddling.. they are approaching 2 weeks old.

They may not if they’re all together with those temps. Just be sure they don’t get a draft from an a/c vent is all. Since they are 2 weeks old already you might want to wait until they are five or six weeks to integrate. Give them three to four weeks of see but don’t touch time.

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

Somwehere in all the chicken reading I've done, it said that a temperature of 102 in the incubator could kill chicks. The thermometer and humidity gauge in the incubator gives the current temp and humidity, and also the highs and lows for both over the past day. There were several times when the temp spiked briefly to 102, but otherwise it stayed toggling between 99 and 100. Could this have killed the chicks?

Feel free to criticize anything I did to care for them. Please do so, because I want the chicks to make it next time.

 

[BlueBaby]

Somwehere in all the chicken reading I've done, it said that a temperature of 102 in the incubator could kill chicks. The thermometer and humidity gauge in the incubator gives the current temp and humidity, and also the highs and lows for both over the past day. There were several times when the temp spiked briefly to 102, but otherwise it stayed toggling between 99 and 100. Could this have killed the chicks?

Feel free to criticize anything I did to care for them. Please do so, because I want the chicks to make it next time.

This will help to answer your question's about that:

https://extension.psu.edu/science-o...re should be maintained,the egg may not hatch.

 

[igorsMistress]

Somwehere in all the chicken reading I've done, it said that a temperature of 102 in the incubator could kill chicks. The thermometer and humidity gauge in the incubator gives the current temp and humidity, and also the highs and lows for both over the past day. There were several times when the temp spiked briefly to 102, but otherwise it stayed toggling between 99 and 100. Could this have killed the chicks?

Feel free to criticize anything I did to care for them. Please do so, because I want the chicks to make it next time.

You haven’t done anything wrong. I suggest adding a hygrometer that you can calibrate and a secondary analog style thermometer. They really are more reliable than digital in my opinion. Also, no I don’t think that short temp spikes would have killed them. Some maybe, but I’ve hatched eggs that were delivered here during the heatwave so...maybe the temperature spikes didn’t help but how often and for how long did they last?

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

You haven’t done anything wrong. I suggest adding a hygrometer that you can calibrate and a secondary analog style thermometer. They really are more reliable than digital in my opinion. Also, no I don’t think that short temp spikes would have killed them. Some maybe, but I’ve hatched eggs that were delivered here during the heatwave so...maybe the temperature spikes didn’t help but how often and for how long did they last?

The spikes were pretty short. Not sure how short, maybe 15 minutes at the most? And it happened about three times in three weeks. Would a thermometer and hygrometer interfere with the egg turner's action?

I bought the most durable and waterproof GFCI in the store.

 

[cavemanrich]

Geckolady

I'm not one to hatch eggs, but do have some knowledge about instruments and how they work.
Your eggs did not make it this time around, but there may be multiple reasons.
A very viable possibility, is your temperatures displayed on your incubator were somewhat off. That means that even though they showed 99°F , the actual temperature could have been higher or lower. The way to treat this problem, is to do a test run and determine the actual real temperature at the setting you have.
Example1; you have it set at 99° and the actual temp inside is 95°. You would them proceed to add 4° to your setting, and see what the actual temp results. You would end up with a reading of 103° but your actual temp would be 99°.
Example2; set at 99° but actual temp is 103°. You would lower your setting to 95° and see what actual temp you end up with.
I am just using the 4 degree difference value as just an example. Your test may have different results.
Remember that the thermometers used in these incubators are mass produced, and are not LABORATORY ACCURACY.
I feel that people grade thermometers are much more accurate, and are in the correct range as well.
This is the type I would recommend, and my reasons.

The whole thermometer can be inside incubator.


The other types of thermometer,(digital electronic) are accurate also, but I don't know if the electronic portion being inside incubator would be good.

I also think.. that button needs to be pushed to show display reading.

Best way to conduct your test is using 6 eggs from grocery store. They wont hatch of course, but will operate incubator under real conditions. Testing with no eggs may throw off real actual operation simulation.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Geckolady

I'm not one to hatch eggs, but do have some knowledge about instruments and how they work.
Your eggs did not make it this time around, but there may be multiple reasons.
A very viable possibility, is your temperatures displayed on your incubator were somewhat off. That means that even though they showed 99°F , the actual temperature could have been higher or lower. The way to treat this problem, is to do a test run and determine the actual real temperature at the setting you have.
Example1; you have it set at 99° and the actual temp inside is 95°. You would them proceed to add 4° to your setting, and see what the actual temp results. You would end up with a reading of 103° but your actual temp would be 99°.
Example2; set at 99° but actual temp is 103°. You would lower your setting to 95° and see what actual temp you end up with.
I am just using the 4 degree difference value as just an example. Your test may have different results.
Remember that the thermometers used in these incubators are mass produced, and are not LABORATORY ACCURACY.
I feel that people grade thermometers are much more accurate, and are in the correct range as well.
This is the type I would recommend, and my reasons.
View attachment 2361982
The whole thermometer can be inside incubator.


The other types of thermometer,(digital electronic) are accurate also, but I don't know if the electronic portion being inside incubator would be good.
View attachment 2361986
I also think.. that button needs to be pushed to show display reading.

Best way to conduct your test is using 6 eggs from grocery store. They wont hatch of course, but will operate incubator under real conditions. Testing with no eggs may throw off real actual operation simulation.

Just make sure they are store chicken eggs, not store duck eggs, or they might actually hatch (yes this happens!!)

 

[cavemanrich]

Just make sure they are store chicken eggs, not store duck eggs, or they might actually hatch (yes this happens!!)

If you get eggs from Trader Joe's, some of them are fertile. Those are sold as free-range. Most chickens hatched are surprise White Leghorn. and Red sexlink Mixes.
The white eggs will produce the Leghorns, but who knows who the daddy was., and same with the brown eggs. You usually will get a Red Chicken.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

If you get eggs from Trader Joe's, some of them are fertile. Those are sold as free-range. Most chickens hatched are surprise White Leghorn. and Red sexlink Mixes.
The white eggs will produce the Leghorns, but who knows who the daddy was., and same with the brown eggs. You usually will get a Red Chicken.

I didn't know that about the chicken eggs!! Ooohh... that might be my daydream chicken ranch source of eggs! Unless i visit the bantam bin