Do I need to worry?

[Dementra]

I have 25 chicken eggs in my incubator. It's just a Styrofoam one from TSC with the egg turner attachment. Eggs were set on 8/25, and I had the temperature dead on 99.5 for the entire time up to lockdown day which I calculated to be the 12th. I never opened it throughout that time to bother trying to candle because I didn't want to mess up my temperature. So later in the evening on lockdown day, I tried to be quick, but it still took me a few minutes even though I had everything ready. I had a container with warm water to refill the chambers and increase the humidity (which it definitely did do, though in the absence of a hydrometer, I don't know how high it got). And I attempted to quickly candle a couple eggs, but couldn't tell much beyond seeing a dark shape that looked like a developing chick, so didn't waste time on it. It took me a few minutes and I had a slight struggle with transferring the eggs to a towel so I could remove the turner and fill the water, and then with a few eggs rolling when I placed them directly on the grate (oops! ), but I got them all transferred back and got it resealed. Well, here's where I screwed up. I forgot to check before I went to bed what the temperature was and I guess forgot because I didn't touch the thermostat at all and figured it would return to my previous perfect temperature. When I checked the next morning, I discovered the windows on the top of the incubator fogged up, but the temperature was at like 96 . I quickly adjusted the thermostat and rechecked in a bit and got them back up to 99.5 and it has held steady ever since. Some of the fogginess has subsided on the windows, but there's still moisture visible. SOOO... No peeps yet, I calculated tomorrow to be hatch date- though my daughter says I should have counted the day I put them in, which would mean hatch would be today if you count 8/25 as 1 and go from there.

So, from people's experiences here- what do you think the odds are that the temperature could have killed some of them or possibly caused a delay in hatching? Do you think it will probably be okay, or should I be concerned? These aren't my first incubator babies, they're still only my second batch to try. First went well, surprisingly I only lost 2 out of 12, plus 1 of the 12 wasn't viable from the start. I seemed to have more temperature fluctuations throughout that batch and the majority hatched and are healthy. I won't be overly upset if these don't hatch, but it does upset me to think of some dying because of a stupid blunder. I REALLY need to get a better incubator!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

At that late of date I doubt it will matter much. I've had eggs go stone cold because a broody got back in the wrong nest. I haven't used an incubator in decades so I'm no help with that.

Wishing you luck on a good hatch.

 

[Dementra]

Thank you!

 

[Chookwagn]

If it dropped to 96 for a few hours im not sure that its going to make too much difference at this stage of the incubation Fingers crossed for a good hatch

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Evaporation pulls literal energy out of the air to make the water become mobile (that's why it feels colder when you are wet), so when you start evaporating water to bring humidity up it gets harder to keep the temperature up.

But broody hens leave their nests sometimes for hours a day if it's warm out without incident. And it's so late in incubation it really shouldn't make a difference.

 

[Dementra]

Awesome!! Fingers crossed!! Thank you!