High temps for a week.

[Brittbee]

Hello all, my current batch has had the temp at 101 - 101.6f for the first 8 days. The thermometer I had in there failed (I thought I had calibrated is properly and figured otherwise when I put my trusty meat thermometer in there and it read 101.6). I can only assume that the temps were lingering in the 101-101.6 range, but the thermometer was ready at 98.7-100F the entire time. The eggs look alive but how will this effect the incubation. Currently, the incubator is sitting at 100.6, which seems loads better than 101.6.

Should I eventually get it dropped down to around 99.5 or should i just keep it where it is currently? How will the high temperature in the first week effect rhe hatch date?

 

[aart]

I put my trusty meat thermometer

So this one has been calibrated?

 

[BYC910]

Hello all, my current batch has had the temp at 101 - 101.6f for the first 8 days. The thermometer I had in there failed (I thought I had calibrated is properly and figured otherwise when I put my trusty meat thermometer in there and it read 101.6). I can only assume that the temps were lingering in the 101-101.6 range, but the thermometer was ready at 98.7-100F the entire time. The eggs look alive but how will this effect the incubation. Currently, the incubator is sitting at 100.6, which seems loads better than 101.6.

Should I eventually get it dropped down to around 99.5 or should i just keep it where it is currently? How will the high temperature in the first week effect rhe hatch date?

Turner forced air ?still air hand turn ?I just keep a meat probe in mine all the time.Still hand turn 101 is what they should run at 'forced air 99.5 So your not super high .if your incubating in forced air turner .cool down the temperature to 99.5 .The longer you run at a higher tempature the more it will affect the hatch .They should be alright .You may want to lock down 1 day early .They might start hatching early. Any ideal how the humidity is running ?

 

[Brittbee]

So this one has been calibrated?

Yes, 100%. All my cooking thermometers are.

 

[Brittbee]

Turner forced air ?still air hand turn ?I just keep a meat probe in mine all the time.Still hand turn 101 is what they should run at 'forced air 99.5 So your not super high .if your incubating in forced air turner .cool down the temperature to 99.5 .The longer you run at a higher tempature the more it will affect the hatch .They should be alright .You may want to lock down 1 day early .They might start hatching early. Any ideal how the humidity is running ?

It's the jumbl incubator, was a gift. Forced air with turner so I will make sure the temp drops to 99.5, or as close as I can get. Humidity was fluctuating really bad in the beginning, but I am monitoring closely and adding water when it gets to 35% with a calibrated hydrometer. I bought the nurture right 360 for the eggs that are arriving Friday. So lockdown on day 17? Would photos of the candled eggs help?

 

[BYC910]

It's the jumbl incubator, was a gift. Forced air with turner so I will make sure the temp drops to 99.5, or as close as I can get. Humidity was fluctuating really bad in the beginning, but I am monitoring closely and adding water when it gets to 35% with a calibrated hydrometer. I bought the nurture right 360 for the eggs that are arriving Friday. So lockdown on day 17? Would photos of the candled eggs help?

If you can post candle pics We could judge air ]cell size .Low humidity could affect air cell growth. As long as they are alive and moving. The first 5 days are mostly about growing organs .You really want to see the early fetus very active at the seven day candle . .Air cell development should be about the size of a dime at the end of the 7th day. I might not be right about that, some would say larger.I really don't pay attention to that .Just want to see development and sign of life .Most of the time I don't even add water even when they are hatching in the turner.How did you calibrate the hygrometer? .I don't trust anything digital. I would use wet bulb .What type of meat probe do you have ?My favorite is the mainstays or similar.The other is a wet bulb I made up its so big it only goes in my cabinets.Taylor makes a mansons hygrometer,What I copied my home made from
it to is to big for small incubators.Great for incubator rooms .Those too need to be calibrated. You see the tape on mine. The tubes were wrong on the scale.The little main stay can be used to take a wet bulb reading with a short length cotton shoe string.Dipped in a very small water container like a pill bottle. I am trying to hatch turkey eggs .The difference between wet and dry should be like 16 degrees .84 wet 100 dry.Which is supposed to be 50 to 55 % .So here I go fighting humidity again. Holding 50% is a pain for me .Not normal makes hatching instering .Not sure of the exact number cooking right now .Around 200 locking down to hatch Sunday. 94 of those bantys.The rules of hatching are simple #1 heat 2 turning 3 humidity .Hold the temperature at 99.5 you can drop a degree at hatch .If you don't turn the eggs the yoke sticks to the shell If it does it will not hatch .
.Humidity 35 to 50 for chickens .

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should I eventually get it dropped down to around 99.5 or should i just keep it where it is currently?

I agree. Forced air so try to get it to 99.5 F.

How will the high temperature in the first week effect rhe hatch date?

Even if you had maintained 99.5 F the entire time eggs can be early or late for various reasons. Mine tend to be early either under a broody hen or in my calibrated incubator so there can be some natural variation. But in general increased average incubating temperature means they should hatch earlier than they normally would. How much earlier with a week at those temperatures? I don't know but it should be noticeable. Locking down a day early might be a good idea. I don't think it will hurt.

I would not try to get the temperature below 99.5 F to "average" it out. I don't think it would help anything and may create other issues. 101.6 F should not be high enough to cook the chicks and kill the embryo but it is getting up there. You may be at an increased risk of birth defects. That does not mean you are guaranteed birth defects, just that there is an increased risk. If any damage has been done it has already been done. That's why I say to not try to average out the temperature by getting it below 99.5.

 

[Brittbee]

If you can post candle pics We could judge air ]cell size .Low humidity could affect air cell growth. As long as they are alive and moving. The first 5 days are mostly about growing organs .You really want to see the early fetus very active at the seven day candle . .Air cell development should be about the size of a dime at the end of the 7th day. I might not be right about that, some would say larger.I really don't pay attention to that .Just want to see development and sign of life .Most of the time I don't even add water even when they are hatching in the turner.How did you calibrate the hygrometer? .I don't trust anything digital. I would use wet bulb .What type of meat probe do you have ?My favorite is the mainstays or similar.The other is a wet bulb I made up its so big it only goes in my cabinets.Taylor makes a mansons hygrometer,What I copied my home made from
it to is to big for small incubators.Great for incubator rooms .Those too need to be calibrated. You see the tape on mine. The tubes were wrong on the scale.The little main stay can be used to take a wet bulb reading with a short length cotton shoe string.Dipped in a very small water container like a pill bottle. I am trying to hatch turkey eggs .The difference between wet and dry should be like 16 degrees .84 wet 100 dry.Which is supposed to be 50 to 55 % .So here I go fighting humidity again. Holding 50% is a pain for me .Not normal makes hatching instering .Not sure of the exact number cooking right now .Around 200 locking down to hatch Sunday. 94 of those bantys.The rules of hatching are simple #1 heat 2 turning 3 humidity .Hold the temperature at 99.5 you can drop a degree at hatch .If you don't turn the eggs the yoke sticks to the shell If it does it will not hatch .
.Humidity 35 to 50 for chickens .

I calibrated rhe hydrometer by putting it in a plastic bag with a little container with salt salt slurry for 24 hours. It's off by 2 (high) so I've adjusted based on the math. The temp seems to be settled at 99.8 now so I am feeling calmer about the situation.

I candle last night, but was alone so I was having difficulty taking a photo and didn't want to risk dropping them. The two remaining (I had 4 of this breed and 2 were undeveloped at day six so they were tossed) are really active, I can see movement inside the shell so that's a relief. Air sac looks more like this (not my photo):

 

[Brittbee]

I agree. Forced air so try to get it to 99.5 F.


Even if you had maintained 99.5 F the entire time eggs can be early or late for various reasons. Mine tend to be early either under a broody hen or in my calibrated incubator so there can be some natural variation. But in general increased average incubating temperature means they should hatch earlier than they normally would. How much earlier with a week at those temperatures? I don't know but it should be noticeable. Locking down a day early might be a good idea. I don't think it will hurt.

I would not try to get the temperature below 99.5 F to "average" it out. I don't think it would help anything and may create other issues. 101.6 F should not be high enough to cook the chicks and kill the embryo but it is getting up there. You may be at an increased risk of birth defects. That does not mean you are guaranteed birth defects, just that there is an increased risk. If any damage has been done it has already been done. That's why I say to not try to average out the temperature by getting it below 99.5.

So instead of Thursday lockdown, it will be Wednesday?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I went back through this twice, I could not see where you said when you started them or what days Wednesday or Thursday are. You can lock them down as normal, after 18 days of development. That will probably be in time but I would not go any longer. Locking down a day earlier, after 17 days of development should be OK also. I'm not sure which I'd do if it were me.