Help! Day 19. I HAD to open the incubator.

[kennedyscochins]

I'm wondering if I've killed my chicks. I have a homemade still air hatcher. When I went to bed the temp was 102. 6 hours later, it had spike to 113 and all my sponges were dry! Humidity was 41%. I felt like I had to open the bator to get the temp down quickly and to rewet the sponges. I did spray water inside the incubator when I opened it. I don't know how long it was at 113 during those 6 hours. Have I killed my chicks? Should I see eggs rocking at 19 days?

 

[DANNY]

Opening your incubator will not kill the chicks. This lockdown thing is very over-rated. All opening the bator does is lets your humidity escape and all you have to do is replace it by using a spray bottle and spraying directly on the eggs.

 

[kelseygirl707]

Oh no! I hope they are all right, that's a big spike, but I think they can handle it better at this stage, unlike when you first put them in. Good Luck, let us know how it goes!

 

[SunnyDawn]

113 degree temps will most likely have killed the chicks. Soooo sorry!

Next time you could try what I did. I put an oven thermometer in the incubator, the kind that has the connected probe that goes in the oven and the digital readout part goes outside the oven. I set it to a certain temp and when it went above that temp the alarm went off. Drove DH crazy but I was able to cool off my eggs when they got too warm and the hatch rate was great! I would still wait and hope for a miracle. It can't hurt to wait.

 

[kelseygirl707]

Don't give up hope, give them time, and they may surprise you!

 

[DANNY]

It's according to how long they stayed at 113 degrees. If it was only a feww hours it probably didn't hurt them.

 

[A1 Steak Sauce]

I've had the temp spike to 112F and stay there for awhile, several times actually, and I had all but five (out of 47 if I remember correctly, been a couple months) hatch. So I wouldn't worry too awful much.

 

[onthespot]

Good luck! let us know what happened!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I had some hatch with a 112 spike late in the game...so I'd say give it time and leave them in. It's just a few more days until you will know for sure. If nothing else you will have gained a good bit of experience from this. I hope they are still kickin!!! Good luck!

 

[kennedyscochins]

Thank you all so much for the replies. Should I see the eggs rocking on day 19. I don't see anything, but I know they were all developing.