HELP! Incubator got up to 104°

[LittleLakesFarm]

My Indian runner duck eggs have only been in the incubator for 2 days and the incubator has been doing great at maintaining a temp. of 99°-100°. I have been keeping a close eye on the temp. and every time I looked, it has been spot on. Then today was a bit warm outside so I kept an extra close eye on the temp. and it still maintained the correct temperature on the thermometer throughout even the warmest part of the day. It started to cool down outside in the early evening/late afternoon (4pm-ish). I checked them then and all was good then a couple of hours went by and I went to check on them again around 6pm and it said 104°!!! I don't understand what happened they wouldn't have been at that temp for more than 2 hours but I have been reading online that 104° is the death temperature. UGH! Are they going to be okay? I fanned them off, added room temperature water to the towel they are on and I got the temp. regulated back to 99°-100° again but I am really worried now. They have only been in there for 2 days

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[ChickenPox]

I had a batch of chickens one time that the incubator spiked SEVERAL times up to 104 and 105. I had two thermometers in there, so I knew it was right. I just KNEW all 36 eggs were goners. There wasn't anything I could do but continue to incubate and monitor and bring the temp back down when I caught it (I worked full time and it was impossible to stand over it.) I candled along the way and thought I saw hope, but wasn't sure, as this was my first hatch in years. Come lock down time and hatch time, I had little hope, and was THRILLED to see two babies still wet pop out! I went to go visit my boyfriend for the night (left the two in there with water to dry) and I came home early the next morning to TWENTY FOUR healthy babies!

So don't lose hope! And good luck!

 

[LittleLakesFarm]

Wow! That is wonderful to hear! Now let's hope it is the same with my ducks

. Thank you so much for the positive news!

 

[ChickenPox]

Never count your chickens (ducks) until they hatch.......and never count them out until they don't hatch! LOL! Back in the day I used to keep the bators running non-stop. Literally for months on end. I"ve hatched ducks, chickens, and turkeys. Currently doing my first set of guineas. I will keep my fingers crossed for your babies!

 

[The Renaissance Woman]

I had a batch of chickens one time that the incubator spiked SEVERAL times up to 104 and 105. I had two thermometers in there, so I knew it was right. I just KNEW all 36 eggs were goners. There wasn't anything I could do but continue to incubate and monitor and bring the temp back down when I caught it (I worked full time and it was impossible to stand over it.) I candled along the way and thought I saw hope, but wasn't sure, as this was my first hatch in years. Come lock down time and hatch time, I had little hope, and was THRILLED to see two babies still wet pop out! I went to go visit my boyfriend for the night (left the two in there with water to dry) and I came home early the next morning to TWENTY FOUR healthy babies!

So don't lose hope! And good luck!

That gives me hope! This is my first time hatching chicken eggs. I had been turning them every 4 hours with 2 temperatures reading at both ends with 100-102. After a couple of days and wee hours getting up I decided to turn eggs every 6 hours. Well, my alarm went at midnight (for the 6-hour turn) and I fell back asleep until 3:00 am. I jumped out of bed and saw at one end the temp was 104 and the other end was 102. FREAK OUT! I rotated the eggs from end to end and let the heat out until it dropped down to 102 and 100. I don't know how long the heat was at 104 plus one of the reservoirs was dry... it could have been for 2-5 hours. I know the temp would be 102 and 100 around the 6-hour mark. The eggs hadn't been turned for 9 hours (since 6 pm). Hopefully, the eggs on the other end were untouched by the temporary heat spike.