Panic stations please help.

[MadJohnChick]

Hi all.
I have been researching hatching chicks on here for a while taking advantage of the google response when I typed in a question. I decided to take the plunge and hatch my own in an incubator. A friend recently gave up keeping chickens as they were moving away and kindly gave me his Octagon 20 incubator. All great so far.......
However I am now in day 5 after setting 12 (postal) purchased eggs. The incubator was all working fine and holding a steady temperature until today and of course it is a Sunday!!! The fan in the incubator packed up about 5 hours ago. I have ordered a replacement fan from Brinsea but now the temp is fluctuating between 36.0 degrees C to 38 degrees C. I have placed another thermometer in the bottom near the eggs and that is reading 34 degrees. I do not have a third thermometer to check (Sunday as well). What is the best thing for me to do over the next 24hrs ??? Leave it? Turn up the temp to match the bottom thermometer or move the incubator into the front room where it is warmer rather than it being in the utility room. This could be longer depending how quick the replacement fan arrives and if the temp fluctuations aren’t part of a bigger problem with the incubator. A side note is I decided to candle the eggs to know if this was all worth the panic and 9 of the 12 have an embryo. Please help. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock!
I'd move the incubator VERY CAREFULLY into the most stable room of your house.
Fans are not required, I hatch perfectly fine with no fan in my bator.
Walmart sells thermometers.

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[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome to BYC!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to our community. The temp fluctuations you mention are not necessarily critical from what I have read. The experts will no doubt help you out

Good luck
Pork Pie

 

[MadJohnChick]

Thank you for the quick response and welcome. I use to keep chickens so everything apart “hatching your own” I had covered. I guess there is always something you hadn’t thought of to catch you out.....

 

[dpenning]

I haven’t done the math but too hot is worse than too cool. You don’t want to cook your eggs. As long as it isn’t spiking super high I would leave it alone and just know you may have a little slower development.

 

[MadJohnChick]

My turning cradle turns them through 90 degrees however while this is going on should I also hand turn them to increase the even heat distribution in the egg or will opening the incubator more often do more harm than good?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I'd move the incubator VERY CAREFULLY into the most stable room of your house.
Fans are not required, I hatch perfectly fine with no fan in my bator.
Walmart sells thermometers.

The temp fluctuations you mention are not necessarily critical from what I have read.

I have been researching hatching chicks on here for a while taking advantage of the google response when I typed in a question. I decided to take the plunge and hatch my own in an incubator.

I don't use fans or egg turners in my styro-ovens.
But I rotate and change orientation upon hand turning.

 

[MadJohnChick]

Thank you all for your useful advice. Full stand down in the panic station...... well almost.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

A free Brinsea Octagon 20?!!! Daaaaamn, where do I find friends like that?!