Omg!!! 103!?!?!?!?! Please Please Please Help!!!!!!

[vkp23]

I have been having trouble keeping my bator regular. I had so far been able to keep it between 98.5 and 100. I woke up this morning and checked on my eggs and the temp was 101. I tried not to freak too much, I just adjusted the lights and what not to help the temp go down. Well I must had screwed up and the temp went up to 103!!! It was only for a couple of mins. The eggs haven't even been in for a full 24 hours yet and already I'm thinking that by day 10 if I don't see anything I'm going to throw in the towel on hatching eggs. It seems that when I spread the eggs out the temp will go down but them some on the edges get too cold, but gathering them together, they seem to feed off eachotehrs heat and it sky rockets. I don't know what to do. Are they still viable after hitting 103 for a couple of mins? PLEASE help. I keep trying to ask for help and nobody seems to want to help me. Please!! I don't want to loose these duckies.

 

[HenPen]

Take a deep breath.....I had my bator hit 110 and still hatched 12 chicks...

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Yup - get a paper bag and inhale deeply - your eggs are fine.

Trust me - If I can get eggs to hatch under the wild conditions I have subjected them too, your eggs will be fine and little fuzzy butts will appear at the appointed time!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Hey there!

First off,

I can't say I know that much about ducks, so unfortunately I can't help you with your hatching question. I see that you're new to the forum, so I'd just like to gently remind you that (even though we have 35,000 members), sometimes it takes a while for people's questions to be answered. It doesn't mean that BYCers are ignoring you or don't want to help you... Just give your questions some time.

(I know you're excited!!

)

Have you tried using our Search feature to look up information about hatching duck eggs? Perhaps that will help you while you're waiting for answers specific to your situation. There are also some amazing threads here on homemade incubators and regulating humidity. Some of the strategies that work for chicken eggs and humidity may help you, too.

 

[vkp23]

I think I got the temp under control. I went out and got a 25 watt bulb (Don't count on husbands to be as spicific as us ladies) and replaced the 40 watt over the eggs with a 25 and left the 40 watt over the water trays. With the eggs huddled together the temp is a stable 99, with 40-41% humidity. *sigh of relief* I'm just still worried that it got too hot and cooked my porr duckies. I guess we will see when time to candle in 6-8 days. Thank you folks! I really need the good news that they will probly be fine.

 

[TheBoonducks]

Its best to "cool" the eggs by removing the heat for 5-10 min if you overheat them. Humidity needs to be 85 degrees on a wet bulb or 55% on a hygrometer, unless the eggs were washed and then bump it to 65%. During the last few days of incubation it should be 75% or 94 degrees on a wet bulb, and the temp should be lowered 1.5 degrees. Your eggs are fine, but those hovabators... I used to have a bbq thermometer with an alarm on it to tell be when mine would skyrocket.

 

[vkp23]

Quote:
Where do you find one like that? Now I'm having issues not getting it back up it's hovering at 95. AHHHHH!! See I had everything evened out and ready to go and it seems that witht he eggs in it that it's so much harder to get it right. I went to lowes this morning to try and find a thermostat but the guy there and I could not for the life of us figure out how it would work on an incubator. I have gotten the humidity up now to 51% atleast. *sigh* This is getting to be harder than I thought.

 

[gypsy2621]

Another thing to keep in mind is the time of the year,
Summer heat is going to boost temperature. if its 80 degrees outside and over 75 inside its going to boost the temp in you incubator.
I had that happen here after nearly 2 months of constant rain, the sun promptly increased the temperature in the bator to over 103, the eggs hatched fine, but I also let them cool down for 10 minutes before regulating for the room temperature.

Incubating in summer you not only have to watch the bator thermometer you also have to watch the room thermometer.