Please help!! Incubator Emergency, day 21!

[wthchristi]

I woke up this morning, day 21 to hearing cheeping from the bator. I ran to see the new babies and freaked out. The temp is down to 72.9 degrees and the light will not come on. My incubators heating element seems to have died. The fan was still working. What can I do to try and save the 30 eggs in there that are trying to hatch. Please help!!

I put the big flashlight on top and a heater underneath until I could figure out what to do next. I am bawling, I do not want to kill my babies on hatch day. Nothing is opened (farm supply) because of labor day.

 

[dbcooper02]

You have to keep the humidity up so keep the lid on. I think you are on the right track. I would unplug it to stop the fan. Watch your temps and do whatever you need to do to get the temp back up to 99.5. It will take some time for outside heat to get through the styrofoam, but a heating pad below and/or a brooder light above should eventually get the temp back up for you. Hoping for the best for you,
Doug

 

[mulia24]

use bulb.

if you have no bulb then use kerosene lamp, i have so long experience with this kerosene lamp, maybe it could help the only thing to worried are fire hazard and CO2 gas.

good luck for you.

 

[LarryPQ]

what about a tupperware filled with hot water and holes poked in the top? Then it would raise the temp and make up for any lost humidity when you pop it open.

Maybe hot/wet towels too?

 

[catwalk]

Could you put wet sponges over a hole and fire your hair dryer at it? Please keep us updated!

 

[wthchristi]

Humidity has dropped to 48 from 80. Too much opening. I am going Walmart to get a heating pad? My husband used a hairdryer to try and get the temp up. Desperate measures.

 

[ChooksChick]

I would take them out and put them in a small rubbermaid tub or cooler with quart jars filled with hot water (don't get too close to eggs) and hot washcloths on top of jars (on their sides). I did that when a broody walked away 3 days to hatch. It worked! The more jars you use, the less it effects everything when you have to open it to add hot jars.

Good luck!!

 

[catwalk]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=238309
This seemed to work fairly well.

 

[Cetawin]

Catwalk that is excellent for a few eggs but 30

OMG she will be lying around for a day or so waiting on babies to hatch.

 

[wthchristi]

We moved the bator into our bedroom and have turned it into a sauna. We have an electric oil heater (no fan) parked under the bator and my hubby's makita flashlight inside for heat. We moved all the eggs away from it. Two small jars of water inside and a sponge. Temp is at 97.9 and humidity at 64. The eggs are still cheeping (thank goodness). We turned the fan off. My hubby is watching the temp like a hawk and using a hairdryer to raise the temp inside quickly. (It went to 112, yikes!) Now we are just watching to see if we can keep the temp stable. These are my shipped b/b/s babies....they were doing soooo good!