Did I cook them??

[lauranickerson]

I'm using a Little Giant 9200 series with no turner or fan. I feel like the directions kept saying 99.5 degrees, but they were assuming you were using a fan, while on here everyone was saying 102-103 without the fan. So I was shooting for 102.

I set the eggs last night at about midnight. The temp got down to about 70-75 because I was opening it, plus when I was running my bator with no eggs, the thermometer was on the screen at that level, not at top of egg level, and it was at 102 during the test run.

Well after setting the eggs, it didn't seem to want to get up past 90 degrees, and I checked back for about 45 minutes. I thought maybe it was the difference of where the thermometer was. So I turned it up JUST A TINY BIT, and went to bed.

I got up this morning and checked on them right away, and I about had a heart attack when I saw the thermometer read 112!! Is all hope lost now? Are they cooked? I'm so bummed. It's taken be a week just to get these 14 eggs from my ducks, and now that they're free ranging and discovered my big pond, I feel like I'll never see an egg from them again.

 

[AmericanMom]

I'm using a Little Giant 9200 series with no turner or fan. I feel like the directions kept saying 99.5 degrees, but they were assuming you were using a fan, while on here everyone was saying 102-103 without the fan. So I was shooting for 102.

I set the eggs last night at about midnight. The temp got down to about 70-75 because I was opening it, plus when I was running my bator with no eggs, the thermometer was on the screen at that level, not at top of egg level, and it was at 102 during the test run.

Well after setting the eggs, it didn't seem to want to get up past 90 degrees, and I checked back for about 45 minutes. I thought maybe it was the difference of where the thermometer was. So I turned it up JUST A TINY BIT, and went to bed.

I got up this morning and checked on them right away, and I about had a heart attack when I saw the thermometer read 112!! Is all hope lost now? Are they cooked? I'm so bummed. It's taken be a week just to get these 14 eggs from my ducks, and now that they're free ranging and discovered my big pond, I feel like I'll never see an egg from them again.

Ok... I also have an incubator with no fan... I shoot for 101.5 and 102.00.. Most times it will go to about 102.5 and I don't stress, just barley turn the knob to drop it .05 of a degree or so. I let my incubator run for a solid 24 hours where I'm not messing with the controls before I add the eggs.. Here is where most folks who are new to incubating make a mistake, I know I did.. I expected the temp to climb right back to where it was, it wont for up to 24 hours... The eggs are room temperature, it takes awhile for them to warm up enough to keep the incubator temperature steady... The first time I incubated I was freaking out because five hours after setting the temp stayed at 95 degrees, I kept moving the knob but to no avail.. went to bed and the next morning it was running at 106!!!!

All hope may not be lost, the only thing you can do is keep going until day 7 when you candle, hopefully by then you will know for sure...
Also, if they are still alive be prepared for day 12 or 13 and the little buggers start generating their own heat and you have to start touching that dial down a bit

 

[AmericanMom]

Also... 103 is too high of a constant temp even for a still air

 

[lauranickerson]

And I know you aren't supposed to open it on the first day (thats what the manual says, anyways), but I did just to get it down a bit.

 

[lauranickerson]

Well I'm definitely new! This is my first incubator and my first time using it! I adjusted it a bit to put it back down to around 102 (hopefully). It's at 106 and slowly coming down. I wish I wouldn't have messed with it. It was at the perfect temp.

 

[AmericanMom]

And I know you aren't supposed to open it on the first day (thats what the manual says, anyways), but I did just to get it down a bit.

If you don't have a turner you are going to open it atleast 3 times a day.. Once you get the temperature regulated when you do open it , it should go right back where it should be in a few min..

 

[AmericanMom]

Well I'm definitely new! This is my first incubator and my first time using it! I adjusted it a bit to put it back down to around 102 (hopefully). It's at 106 and slowly coming down. I wish I wouldn't have messed with it. It was at the perfect temp.

Hey, don't beat yourself up... I have yet to find anyone here who hasn't done the same their first time out... I am using a borrowed bator with a fan running alongside mine that doesn't have a fan and let me tell ya, I sure do like the fan a lot better!! told DH when the hatching is over I am going to want him to install a fan in my hovabator

 

[lauranickerson]

So even though the manual says do not open the incubator on the first day the eggs are set, do it anyways to rotate them? I hate these instructions because they are just assuming you bought the turner and the fan.

 

[lauranickerson]

So today is day 7. I just did the first candling. I didn't see any sort of veining in them. Don't know if the shell is just too thick or what, but I was able to see the yolk. All 14 with no veins. Very discouraging.

Should I keep going or start over again? I doubt that I ended up with all infertile eggs. I see my drake doing his thing all the time with his 3 ladies. Wonder if the temp just did them in...

 

[lauranickerson]

Anyone?