incubator problems....

[Rudkin]

We have 14 eggs in an incubator that are due to hatch on the 19th. Styrofoam incubator with an egg turner inside and the temp has been steady at about 98.9. The incubator is about 2 feet off the floor. We built a chick brooder over the weekend and put the incubator on top of it, now about 4 feet off the floor. There is a towel laying on top of the brooder in between the brooder and the incubator. This morning we checked and the temp is 102.7. What gives? Is it the height? Incubator is in same place, just higher. Could it be the towel underneath? Crappy incubator? We just put 30 eggs in another incubator set up the same way. Had a steady temp for 24 hours before placing the eggs. The incubators are next to each other. This morning that temp read 106! So we lost that batch for sure! Any thoughts? Also, can you reccomend a good incubator. We seem to be having a lot of trouble with these styrofoam ones. Are they crap or are we just inept? LOL!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Could be lots of things. Be careful of towels and things that may block the vents. The eggs need oxygen.
Don't give up on the eggs. I've had chicks hatch out of a crappy styro incy that swung from 92-108.

 

[red golden]

I would invest in A better one or build you one.

 

[tec27]

i put a box ontop of my incubator for a couple hours not thinking anything of it. It was a styrofoam one i built myself. The temp went up to 114. heat escapes from the top and the box insulated the styrofoam i guess. Maybe something along the same lines happened to you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

did any hatch tec?

 

[tec27]

did any hatch tec?

surprisingly yes. i dont know why though lol. i thought for sure i cooked them. they hatched just fine too.