Incubator temp too low?

[incubateme]

Hi all my incubator temp has been at 36.6 for the past 3 weeks, I just found this out. It's days 23 and still not even popping. Will my eggs still hatch?
Thanks

 

[coastingangel]

Hi, I have read that if the temp is too low it takes a few more days for them to hatch so I wouldn't give up just yet. Good luck

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Sorry, but I think that temp is too low for them. Eggs need to be kept at a steady 37.5 for chicks to develop.

 

[ChiknKrazy]

Hi I'm new to backyard Chickens,
sorry for intruding on your post but I've always wandered what the exact temperature has to be for chicken eggs in the incubator myself. I've heard so many things and it's confusing and I never know which is which so I'd really like to find out how high or low is too high and too low? what setting do you put the incubator on to get an excellent hatch rate? You're thread really drew me in because I've always wondered that myself.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Quote:

Hi I'm new to backyard Chickens,
sorry for intruding on your post but I've always wandered what the exact temperature has to be for chicken eggs in the incubator myself. I've heard so many things and it's confusing and I never know which is which so I'd really like to find out how high or low is too high and too low? what setting do you put the incubator on to get an excellent hatch rate? You're thread really drew me in because I've always wondered that myself.

Welcome to BYC!

When incubating eggs, the heat is supposed to be 99.5 F or 37.5 C if you are using a circulated air bator. If you are using a still air incubator, then you want the temp to be 100-101 F (or 37.7 - 38.3 C) at the top of the eggs. In my experience, a healthy range for a circulated air incubator is around 99.3 - 99.8 F, the closer to 99.5 the better. Chicks might die or not develop if you get too close to 99 or 100 for a long period of time.

If you go too low or too high, your chicks can have defects and/or die. As for humidity, I highly recommend the dry incubation method. If you live in a very dry area, you might need to add a little water but do not go over 40%. You want to keep it around 30%-35%, but going into the upper 20s or close to 40% doesn't hurt them.

I don't add any water until day 18, when I up the humidity to around 55% and stop turning. You can go up to 75% but no more on lockdown. Too much humidity and the chicks drown, to little and they get shrink wrapped.

Hope this helps!

 

[incubateme]

Thanks for your responses, I candled the eggs and 2/4 are fully developed fully so hopefully they might hatch. Down from 12 eggs to 2.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Well, at least you've got two. Please let us know what happens!

 

[ChiknKrazy]

Quote:

Welcome to BYC!

When incubating eggs, the heat is supposed to be 99.5 F or 37.5 C if you are using a circulated air bator. If you are using a still air incubator, then you want the temp to be 100-101 F (or 37.7 - 38.3 C) at the top of the eggs. In my experience, a healthy range for a circulated air incubator is around 99.3 - 99.8 F, the closer to 99.5 the better. Chicks might die or not develop if you get too close to 99 or 100 for a long period of time.

If you go too low or too high, your chicks can have defects and/or die. As for humidity, I highly recommend the dry incubation method. If you live in a very dry area, you might need to add a little water but do not go over 40%. You want to keep it around 30%-35%, but going into the upper 20s or close to 40% doesn't hurt them.

I don't add any water until day 18, when I up the humidity to around 55% and stop turning. You can go up to 75% but no more on lockdown. Too much humidity and the chicks drown, to little and they get shrink wrapped.

Hope this helps!

Thank you ever so very much for this information,
I really appreciate it. I do sincerely apologize for cutting in on this person's thread it's just that I haven't had a whole lot of success for incubation and I thought it was my incubator. Now I realize it was me

Thanks for helping me get that squared away, I'll write the information you gave me down. .I'm kind of mad at myself for not joining this wonderful site and getting the answer sooner. I have a Circulated Air Incubator with a built in Humidity level reader and a temp reader as well. So thank you ever so very much!! Hopefully when I incubate my eggs in spring it'll be a lot better.

 

[incubateme]

So if someone could help me, the eggs I candled are fully developed, dark egg and I can only see the air cell. Is there any way I can check if their alive inside or do I just need to wait till day 28?
Thanks

 

[coastingangel]

I would wait it out a little longer. It is stressful I know! From my calc you are only on day 24, I have had late ones from a normal hatch at that point so I would sit tight a few more days to give them every chance before trying anything that might harm them. Sounds promising that they hav3 developed.