Help with my Sportsman Please?

[rodriguezpoultry]

I had set eggs 3 weeks ago. All were doing great! I moved to the bottom hatcher at day 18. The temp read 98* in the hatcher whereas at the top of the incubator it read 100*.

I had 25+ eggs in there. Only 5 have hatched and possibly two more to come. The rest all died.

Humidity ran about 45% the entire incubation and 55% at hatch (couldn't get it to move up??)

The basement temperature is 64*.


Did the low temp in the hatcher kill my eggs? They were all supposed to hatch on Sunday and some are just now hatching. How do I raise the temp in the hatching area?

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

is you fan running strong, or is your thermometer not reading right.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The temp is normal for a sportsman, humidity sounds like what you would expect out of one this time of year too.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

I had set eggs 3 weeks ago. All were doing great! I moved to the bottom hatcher at day 18. The temp read 98* in the hatcher whereas at the top of the incubator it read 100*.

I had 25+ eggs in there. Only 5 have hatched and possibly two more to come. The rest all died.

Humidity ran about 45% the entire incubation and 55% at hatch (couldn't get it to move up??)

The basement temperature is 64*.


Did the low temp in the hatcher kill my eggs? They were all supposed to hatch on Sunday and some are just now hatching. How do I raise the temp in the hatching area?

sorry, I'm still getting the hang of the new system. LOL. My temp in my shed is 60 so I don't think its that. I rum my humidity at 50% all through hatch, but 45 % shouldn't cause a problem. is your turner working right, it sounds more like that kind a problem

also are you running only 1 tray, I was told if you use only 1 tray to have it in the middle turner rack.

your trouble sound likes hardware

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Turner works perfectly, fan is running strong as well?

Should I open vent holes at the bottom of the incubator or will that cause the temp to drop down there more?

Or, should I just use a different hatcher altogether and forget using the bottom of the incubator? I have eggs due to hatch in a few days time and can't afford to lose almost an entire hatch fiddle-farting with it.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Mine has the bottom open half open an the top full open.
Mines not actually a sportsman so that dont tell you much

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Turner works perfectly, fan is running strong as well?

Should I open vent holes at the bottom of the incubator or will that cause the temp to drop down there more?

Or, should I just use a different hatcher altogether and forget using the bottom of the incubator? I have eggs due to hatch in a few days time and can't afford to lose almost an entire hatch fiddle-farting with it.

you got me stumped, you are sure the eggs where good? I know that sounds silly but?? the thermometer is the only thing I can think of, some go nutty even after they where working great

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

We think we figured it out...we had two thermometers in the bottom, both reading the same and two in the top, both reading the same.

All chicks died on day 18, some day 16. All eggs were in great shape. I candled at 7, 14 and day 18 to make sure NONE were going to "asplode". The concrete floor is VERY cold...the incubator is ON the concrete floor.

We put some styrofoam boards under the incubator to lift it off the floor. The temp has already raised slightly. I feel like such a moron. Ah well...that's why these were test eggs and not important ones...like the ones due in 2 days.

ETA: All trays are in use...so no rotating around for me.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Glad you found the problem, I keep my sportsman on a low 2 ft table, but I do have that bubble wrap insulation between the table and 'bator.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Thanks guys! According to the thermometer, it's 100* where the eggs are.

Weird!