Lockdown Disaster (Homemade Incubator)

[SailingAgape]

I am nearing the end of my first hatch in a homemade incubator. Everything went just swell until I started lockdown (Day 15), I had the controller mounted through the wall (The box is 1 1/2" insulation foam board and about 20" x 20" inside to fit my turner) and on day 16, the controller built too much moisture and began to short and ran the internal hear to 110F for about a half hour.

I quickly moved the eggs to a cheap hard plastic style incubator but it would not come above 80F. I had them in there for about 2 hours while I took apart the homemade incubator, and dried the controller. Then I moved them back.

Im curious now because I saw a lot of movement from at least half the eggs right up until the heat spike. There was only one moving while they were in the second incubator and I haven't spotted any movement since I put them back in the original incubator.

It's day 17 now and I'm looking for reassurance that I may have not cooked or overstressed my hatch...

 

[Kale the Quail]

@Nabiki ?

 

[Nabiki]

Half an hour isn't all that long, but 110 is pretty high. Don't give up yet. If you don't see anything by tomorrow, try candling. Post pics if you can.

 

[SailingAgape]

I have 3 pips now!

The first pic is my incubator set up.

For lockdown, I took out the turner and put the eggs in a short cardboard box because I figured they'd appreciate first steps on that vs 1/4" hardware cloth.

 

[SailingAgape]

 

[SailingAgape]

Disaster again.

I came out to check at 0345 and the humidity had plummeted to 30% and 2 were trying to hatch.

One is getting to town on a zipper but the other is stuck in the same spot.

I immediately piped in a fogger and now humidity is between 62-73%.

Here's hoping.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

Oh no .... crossing fingers

 

[SailingAgape]

2.5 hatched today.

#1 taught me not to hatch on cardboard. I'll look like me trying to take up ice skating and the chick will grow content on it's belly with it's legs out to the side.

#3 got a papertowel in the box (Which is inside the incubator in a good intention gone wrong attempt to keep hatchlings off the wire) #3 is a champ walking around to various sleeping spots.

#2 appears stuck in the shell at at one point started 1/4 of a zipper, but returned to the starting point. After much debate, I went for the assist on a portion of the zipper. #2 shows a little more interest in finishing hatching, but is about 10 hours into not actually doing it yet...I'm trying to stick with the patience game and figure either way, #2 will be high maintenance...

 

[SailingAgape]

I also think I messed things up pretty good when I temporarily moved them to another incubator without knowing to pay particular attention to orientation.

I have 2 possible pips I'm monitoring but they appear to be near the very tip of the fat end...Which I believe is unnatural.

 

[FloorCandy]

I also think I messed things up pretty good when I temporarily moved them to another incubator without knowing to pay particular attention to orientation.

I have 2 possible pips I'm monitoring but they appear to be near the very tip of the fat end...Which I believe is unnatural.

Several of mine pipped on the fat end and just chopped around that end instead, I had one go long ways bottom to top and around, and I don’t remember if I helped or not, I don’t think I did. I think I only helped a shrink wrap and the others all worked it out.