Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[Math]

Well, the 9200 did it again, except the temp rose this time. Overnight the temperature went from a perfect 101 to 104; I have no idea how long it stayed there, just that it was that high when I woke up. I'm starting to debate throwing it in the trash when this hatch is over... 
@AmyLynn2374
 Has your incubator experienced temp swings overnight? The room it's in hasn't changed more than a degree or two, and I really don't know what it causing it.  Thanks!

That temperature rise will occur automatically with the the developing chicks producing their on heat at around 14 days.

 

[Silkie-Feet]

QUESTION @Math, that temp spike was very early in development and the embryos were too small to cause a 3 degree spike, yet if it was around day 15 I would say that would be a likely cause.

Alright, so my 9200 has a turner that has little probes to hold the eggs. It's meant to hold both chicken and quail eggs, yet my 9300 has hard plastic little cups. I'm not used to the eggs being able to rock in a turner, but I've seen an egg shake twice this morning in the 9300. Is this normal for development on day 17? Thanks!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

QUESTION @Math, that temp spike was very early in development and the embryos were too small to cause a 3 degree spike, yet if it was around day 15 I would say that would be a likely cause.

Alright, so my 9200 has a turner that has little probes to hold the eggs. It's meant to hold both chicken and quail eggs, yet my 9300 has hard plastic little cups. I'm not used to the eggs being able to rock in a turner, but I've seen an egg shake twice this morning in the 9300. Is this normal for development on day 17? Thanks!

That's a bit early isn't it? Maybe your hatch will start day 19 like my last hatch...lol

 

[Silkie-Feet]

I guess I'll just go ahead and lock down tonight? If they come early, it's better for them to have more time to position than not enough.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I guess I'll just go ahead and lock down tonight? If they come early, it's better for them to have more time to position than not enough.

It's not going to hurt them. I hardly ever see movement from mine until they pip. The one I saw movement from in my last hatch was one of the three that died in the last 2 days. It was rocking on day 20, and nothing.

 

[rossfam06]

What brand of thermometer do you guys recommend for incubation? I have the built in digital, another digital and a coil. All of which give me different readings. The ones that are close is the built in and the coil. The seperate digital just reads 96 when the other were reading 100 to 101.6

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm thinking now maybe I should have paid better attention in science class when we learned about heat and mass and energy and all that. So after realizing that one side of my bator was running warmer than the other, I did what logically sounded like the only smart thing to do and moved as many of the eggs as I could to the side that was holding the right average and just rotating the top. I discovered that since doing this that side seemed to run even hotter making a bigger temp fluctuation between the two sides. So, I started wondering if the difference is w/o eggs there, there is nothing to absorb the heat. So I took the two new sponges that I have on reserve for lockdown and w/o adding any water placed them on that side beside the thermometer. My bator held steady all night, (though that's not abnormal, it usually does until I turn eggs in the morning then it goes screwy.) This morning, turned the eggs closed it back up, it came back up to temp and has been holding steady all morning/afternoon. My "hot" side is holding a perfect 99.5 and the "cool" side is holding 100.0 both steady. I'll take that! So I wonder if the fact the one side was heating more is because of unequal mass to begin with. Whatever, I am just happy to see a balance and am praying it stays that way. 10 more days to day 21. (Hopefully they'll show up a day earlier...lol)

 

[rossfam06]

I'm thinking now maybe I should have paid better attention in science class when we learned about heat and mass and energy and all that. So after realizing that one side of my bator was running warmer than the other, I did what logically sounded like the only smart thing to do and moved as many of the eggs as I could to the side that was holding the right average and just rotating the top. I discovered that since doing this that side seemed to run even hotter making a bigger temp fluctuation between the two sides. So, I started wondering if the difference is w/o eggs there, there is nothing to absorb the heat. So I took the two new sponges that I have on reserve for lockdown and w/o adding any water placed them on that side beside the thermometer. My bator held steady all night, (though that's not abnormal, it usually does until I turn eggs in the morning then it goes screwy.) This morning, turned the eggs closed it back up, it came back up to temp and has been holding steady all morning/afternoon. My "hot" side is holding a perfect 99.5 and the "cool" side is holding 100.0 both steady. I'll take that! So I wonder if the fact the one side was heating more is because of unequal mass to begin with. Whatever, I am just happy to see a balance and am praying it stays that way. 10 more days to day 21. (Hopefully they'll show up a day earlier...lol)

Yea! I'm glad you figured out your problem.

 

[chickkrzi]

What brand of thermometer do you guys recommend for incubation? I have the built in digital, another digital and a coil. All of which give me different readings. The ones that are close is the built in and the coil. The seperate digital just reads 96 when the other were reading 100 to 101.6

I use this one (http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html) has worked for me very well over the years. I like to just using one thermometern at a time, hatching eggs is nerve racking enough don't need to add to it by over guessing which thermometern to believe.

 

[WVduckchick]

I use this one (http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html) has worked for me very well over the years. I like to just using one thermometern at a time, hatching eggs is nerve racking enough don't need to add to it by over guessing which thermometern to believe.

Nice to hear that this one has worked for you! I almost ordered it, but was unsure. I ended up ordering a Brinsea Spot Check, going on their reputation and a couple other folks' recommendations. Same price as that one, but does NOT read humidity. Ugh! I have found the Spot Check to be very accurate. I've bought enough thermometers and hygrometers to stock my own store now! Because I agree, its all so nerve racking, you want a dependable one. But good golly, you would think it would be easier to find one that actually works and works right!