Panicked! :( Eggs got a bit hot...

[elizabethbinary]

I had my eggs under a hen for 17 days when she suddenly freaked and got off of them. I didn't have an incubator so I made one out of a styrofoam box and a 50 watt bulb. So far so good... it was registering a nice temperature, it was a good humity... until last night, day 20. The lid was closed on it this morning and when I got up (went to bed at midnight, checked on the eggs at 4:30 so 4 1/2 hours) they were quite warm and the thermometre had broken and was registering an error. I tested the water and the water (in a metal bowl) in their box registered 104...

But again, it has just busted so it might be registering wrong. The thermometre can go up to like 400 or something F and 200C so I know it wasn't heat that busted it (unless I really...really...really... cooked those eggs).

So I think it got to around 105 or 106 there over the course of 4 hours. I remember checking on it before bed and the number was going from 98.6 - 98.7 and back again over and over, so I figured it was maintaining. I'm thinking tops it was 105 for 2 hours... but probably only the last half hour...

It's 6am on day 21... is the only way to find out if I cooked my birds to wait? Nothing I can do? It's my first ever batch of eggs in my life so I'm a paranoid mama hen and I'd just cry if I lost them on the last day due to my negligence. But I think I did...

Edit: OMG sorry I was so panicked I forgot to say Thank you for helping me and say hello again on the forum! It's nice to see you guys again. Thanks for your help!

 

[math ace]

I am no help since I am doing my first incubation. . . .

Since today is day 21 - - - let us know how it works out

 

[elizabethbinary]

Thanks! I'm hoping it's okay! My fiance made a point to tell me Aussie summers get hotter than that box did, but the eggs were SO warm. I thought I saw twitching in the eggs yesterday but I'm not sure, I was kinda staring into a lighted box for 6 hours. Haha.

Oh man, praying! I had some silkie eggs in there too (1 week old, my other hen got off them, too!

).

My fiance and I are buying a proper incubator next week.

 

[plecostrum]

i only have 2 x 40 w bulbs in mine pretty much half dimmed i tried 25w full wasnt hot enough .

Hope you get some chickies!!

The diy is great when it goes well but it is soo annoying mine shot to 120 first week but it still didnt kill some of mine and i had a power out for 6 hours and they are fine too. dont worry i think they will be fine

any news!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

For the water to be 104 it got pretty hot... You may still be fine but its hard to tell other than just waiting an seeing what happened.

 

[elizabethbinary]

Crud, thanks everyone! I figured it was 'wait and see'. How annoying. I don't even want to candle them since it's hatch day and, well, super sunny right now.

Well if this doesn't work I'll try again with a proper incubator. I'm sad. It was a mix of faverolles, buff cochins, gold lace wynadottes and andelusians. I had been daydreaming of watching my first hen-raised little chickies to run across the field with their mother. Now I've got two possibly cooked motherless sets of eggs.

In slightly brighter news, my muscovies just laid their first fertilized eggs.

Edit: Sorry not trying to sound cold.

Just spent the last four days basically not leaving the house waiting for pipping sounds only to mess up. I know it happens. Still.

 

[plecostrum]

anything at all yet!! was yesterday lock down or day 22??

 

[elizabethbinary]

Been 12 hours since I posted. I think I see wiggling but I'm not sure! Today is still day 21.

Nervous.

 

[elizabethbinary]

Nothing from the eggs. I noticed something. Since I moved them to a new room (my mother is visiting in a couple days) the heatbox has dropped to a rather low temp at night. Which is, y'know, not great the last few days. I don't know what to do. I can't really move the heatbox back. I'll be adding another lamp to it tonight and staying up with them to see the temps stay good tonight. It's so much harder when you don't have an automatic one! I can't wait until I get it next week.

Anyway, doing the best I can - wasn't really expecting the mother(s) to get off their eggs so I wasn't prepared. Next time.

On Monday I will consider them a loss.

 

[elizabethbinary]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think one of the eggs pipped!!!! There's was a hole in it, but theres a long -vertical- crack coming from the hole. It seems to not be moving so I think it's resting to hatch!??!??!?! It's a bantam so it should be the first to go!!

Is the vertical crack a problem? It also had a little bit of goo coming from the hole. Looked like eye gunk kinda.