Doomed?

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Ok, so I borrowed a Hovabator circulated air incubator from a friend who has several to hatch a dozen or so shipped eggs. This is my first incubating experience on my own, had my hens do it for me in the past.

Anyways, this friend told me the incubator was tried and true, everything worked great, yada, yada.

Well, we are 9 days in and she calls me in a panic. She had sent me home with a faulty thermometer by accident.

I rushed out and picked up two new thermometers (different brands, I wanted several opinions at this point) and stuck them in there with the old one to gauge how off it was. Well, according to my new thermometers (who read the same within a small fraction of a degree), the super fancy faulty digital thermometer ranges being off 3 degrees in either direction, apparently according to its mood. Uggg. I had been watching this incubator like a hawk these first 9 days, making small adjustments to coincide with what the faulty thermometer was reading.

Tell me the honest truth, is it over? Will that degree of variation early in incubation result in defects in chicks should they even hatch?

 

[kid-n-chickens]

I think you should still have a good shot at it. The fact that you are hatching shipped eggs is more against you than the faulty thermometer, if you get a 50% hatch with shipped eggs you are doing good. If you have an LED flashlight go to the bathroom and candle the eggs you will be able to tell at this point if there is anything going on in them. You can just buy a cheap LED, cup your hand over it and set the egg on top of your hand dont do this looking into a mirror though, deflects the light. Dont pitch any in question, mark them with a pencil and recandle the rest again around day 14 then you will know for sure whether the questionable ones are any good or not. Good luck!!!

 

[joe17]

When you candle, you dont HAVE to go in the bathroom. The little time they would be out of the bator wont affect them much at all. I think you have a good shot though. They will prolly hatch early since it was three degrees over. I keep my eggs in the bator when I candle. I just move the flashlight on top of the egg and if there is a big black blob with rred veins comin out of it, then I keep it in there. I usually candle on day 18 to make sure the ones I throw away are not viable...... good luck!

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Going in the bathroom may be for finding a really dark place to candle not for the humidity or temps. I use my bathroom because it has no window and is totally dark.

 

[joe17]

Well it depends on the type of room........ I just turn off my light and lamp

A lotta people go in bathrooms for humidity purposes though.... whatever works for you.....

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Thanks for the vote of confidence folks! I know my hatch rate is likely to be pretty low because of them being shipped, I'm just happy to hear that the temp variation in the beginning wouldn't totally kill their chances. I tried candling last night, but I need a stronger flashlight and about half of them are very dark BCM eggs anyways. Thanks!

 

[Redcatcher]

Why not wait until dark?