Never Give UP

[NYREDS]

I see posts here often where people are worried because their incubator went up or down a degree or they turned their eggs only twice one day instead of three times.......Well here's what just happened here that illustrates how resilient the process is.
We had a power outage which lasted almost 30 hours. My incubators are in the basement where the temperature stays consistantly right around 55 drgrees. I moved all the eggs [about 250] into one incubator so there's be more thermal mass to hold heat. In spite of this by the time the power came back on the temp in the incubator was 55 degrees and it had been there for some time.
The power came on. I put the eggs back where they were and today, right on schedule, the eggs are hatching.
The point being-relax a little-minor variations probably aren't going to hurt anything.

 

[chickenlady]

Very true NYREDS!! Very true!! Similar situation happened to me. I just left well enough alone and they all hatched. Sometimes less fuss and less worry is just what is needed.

 

[conny63malies]

THANK YOU for writing this. I almost got a heart attack when the temp got down to 98F for a few minutes. good to see that there is hope after all.

 

[tnkinhunting]

Gee, I hope that holds true with one of my banty hens - she was setting in a shed and I, unknowingly locked her in the barn last nite - did she ever fly to her nest this am.....

Thirty hours - wow! that's amazing and great!

 

[tnkinhunting]

NYREDS what is your experience with shipped eggs? I chewed my nails off on two dozen and had a temp drop - 6 hours to 80 degrees and only 1 hatched. These were good eggs from a very reliable source - one dozen got misrouted - that's the one's where the 1 hatched - the others arrived promptly.

 

[greentree]

That is great news!! Good Luck with all the chicks!

I had a Dominique bantam that was nowhere to be found when I moved the othe r two out of the barn, into the coop. I was so sad, but I kept having a bit of chicken poop in the barn aisle, so I kept looking..... Yesterday, she was screaming at us, and my nephew found her nest. Then last night, she was gone again. Still gone this AM. I hope something didn't get her!!!

Nancy

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I agree with the OP. When I was doing the buff orp eggs I lost power overnight. I thought the eggs where done for then the temp spiked over 106 F. 11 out of 15 hatched which is not bad for shipped eggs. The I alkmost gave up on the duck eggs. First timer with them and had 5 devolop but only 1 made it. I was going to throw in the towel but I am doing ducks again this week

 

[coffeemama]

I had some temp issues-mostly low. I just figure they may be a little late, and hope to still have an ok hatch rate. It's good to hear positive experiences.

 

[Stormhorse23]

Yeah, I have been so busy and there have been days I haven't been able to turn at all and guess what? A PIP TODAY! AND HES CHEEPING AT ME!