Help! I just found out about still vs forced air temps

[MelissaMallard]

I researched like crazy before starting this endeavor, and on day 22 I'm looking for things to calm me down as to why my eggs are still not hatching. I just now found the info suggesting different temps for still vs forced air. I have a still air incubator. I've kept it at 99.5 degrees, the humidity has been perfect and we bumped it up into the 60s for the lockdown period... but did I just ruin all of my eggs? Will they do a delayed hatch instead? They were expensive eggs and I really did do the research but not even the person I got the incubator from said I had to run a different temperature (Little Giant). I have 24 eggs in there, and I am panicking.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Candle and look for movement. Panicking does no one any good.

I hope your eggs are fine. Did you use a backup thermometer to make sure that the first was right?

Good luck.

 

[MelissaMallard]

I didn't have a backup. Time will tell, I also don't want to open the incubator and risk messing them up more. Wondering if it would help to bump the temp this late in the game.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Candle the eggs, bump the temps up and expect a late hatch if any for sure.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I didn't have a backup. Time will tell, I also don't want to open the incubator and risk messing them up more. Wondering if it would help to bump the temp this late in the game.

The only reason to raise the humidity is so that chicks pipping through their shells will be able to keep their membranes moist. If none of them have pipped, you can reach in and remove an egg or two at a time without any harm to the eggs. You may have to raise your humidity a little afterwards, or just let it re-stabilise, but either way, it's really not that big a deal, and it's best to know.

Always have a backup thermometer when incubating, or at least calibrate the one you're using. The thermometers that come with incubators can be pretty unreliable. (off by 3-4 F is not uncommon) Since you don't know what temperature it is in there, bumping it will do you no good.

 

[MelissaMallard]

Thank you

 

[aart]

Did you candle throughout the incubation?

Next time...get other therms and hygros, test them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

 

[MelissaMallard]

I just talked to the woman who gave me the incubator. She's used it several times and always at 99.5... she's never had a problem. Maybe they just take a little longer to cook? I'll update if any hatch.

 

[MelissaMallard]

One hatched this morning! No other pips yet, but that was encouraging