Temp going up in Coturnix quail lockdown, day 18!

[mintandmyrtlefarms]

Hey, Peeps!

I’ve been up all night. My temperature in my incubator holds pretty solid based on the settings that I program, but for the past two days, the temperature has been increasing to over 101, despite lowering the controls. I’m losing my mind, and I’m fearing that this is harming the babes...

Is this a normal occurrence at lockdown? I don’t know what to do, or what amount of fluctuation is OK, this late in the game... Any insight would be greatly appreciated, as this is my first hatch. ~Aly

 

[Riane]

I'm on the beginning of day 16 and mine is doing the same thing. I've been struggling to keep it down. I think it's a sign they're getting close to hatching, but I'll let the experts have that say. Has your humidity been rising? Mine has been a struggle to keep up, but now it's actually going up by itself.

 

[mintandmyrtlefarms]

I'm on the beginning of day 16 and mine is doing the same thing. I've been struggling to keep it down. I think it's a sign they're getting close to hatching, but I'll let the experts have that say. Has your humidity been rising? Mine has been a struggle to keep up, but now it's actually going up by itself.

Oh, I hope that’s what’s going on! That would indeed be good news for the both of us. My humidity is actually going down, thankfully! It started off way too high (upper 90%), because I didn’t realize that the built in humidity reader was reading incorrectly... I bought a secondary hygrometer off of Amazon, and my actual humidity was double what it should have been (the entire incubation period). I’m holding onto the HOPE that we still get some fluff bumbles from the batch... Hopefully once your first baby hatches, that will be all the humidity boost that your incubator needs! The suspense (and not lifting the lid) is torture, I know!

 

[JaeG]

Make sure all your vents are fully open/plugs are out (depending on your incubator) to get lots of fresh air circulating in there. The chicks start to generate some of their own heat at this point.

Quail are pretty tough little things so I don't think the slight temperature spike is anything to worry about.

Hopefully you'll start to see some action soon (the waiting is torture - I do agree).

 

[Nabiki]

It's normal for humidity to go up as they begin to pip, but not temperature. Are you trusting your incubator's temp reading? If so, I highly recommend getting another calibrated thermometer or two and putting them in there. The incubator temp reading is very, very rarely accurate.

 

[mintandmyrtlefarms]

It's normal for humidity to go up as they begin to pip, but not temperature. Are you trusting your incubator's temp reading? If so, I highly recommend getting another calibrated thermometer or two and putting them in there. The incubator temp reading is very, very rarely accurate.

I actually made the mistake of trusting the built in temp and humidity readers during the beginning of this incubation, until I realized they were off. Since then, I’ve put 4 additional readers in the incubator, but even after calibrating, they all vary a bit. It’s been incredibly frustrating. Do you have a favorite type/brand that you trust? I really want to make sure my setting are in a better place next time around. It could also be that this machine is just junk. I think there is something to investing in a cabinet incubator after this experience. I feel terrible.

 

[mintandmyrtlefarms]

Make sure all your vents are fully open/plugs are out (depending on your incubator) to get lots of fresh air circulating in there. The chicks start to generate some of their own heat at this point.

Quail are pretty tough little things so I don't think the slight temperature spike is anything to worry about.

Hopefully you'll start to see some action soon (the waiting is torture - I do agree).

You know... I find it strange that my incubator has ZERO ventilation holes... the cover isn’t a super tight fit, and there is a fan inside, so gosh, I hope that is enough. So far, no chick action. Hoping we at least get a few puffs, poor things!

 

[Riane]

You know... I find it strange that my incubator has ZERO ventilation holes... the cover isn’t a super tight fit, and there is a fan inside, so gosh, I hope that is enough. So far, no chick action. Hoping we at least get a few puffs, poor things!

I have the same incubator as you! Haha! The little hole at the top is the vent for it. It's not the best, but my quail are currently hatching, so it seems to do the job. It's definitely not the best, I feel your pain.

 

[Nabiki]

I actually made the mistake of trusting the built in temp and humidity readers during the beginning of this incubation, until I realized they were off. Since then, I’ve put 4 additional readers in the incubator, but even after calibrating, they all vary a bit. It’s been incredibly frustrating. Do you have a favorite type/brand that you trust? I really want to make sure my setting are in a better place next time around. It could also be that this machine is just junk. I think there is something to investing in a cabinet incubator after this experience. I feel terrible.

Mine vary some too, but I do a freezing water test so I know how much they are off by, and I write it on the thermometer. Fish tank thermometers work well too. You might be seeing a temp difference because not all places in your incubator are the same temperature as well. I have learned where the cool spots in my incubator are and I try to avoid putting eggs in those places.

 

[mintandmyrtlefarms]

I have the same incubator as you! Haha! The little hole at the top is the vent for it. It's not the best, but my quail are currently hatching, so it seems to do the job. It's definitely not the best, I feel your pain.

oh boy. Mine didn’t come with a hole drilled... maybe I should drill one? Do you have a picture by chance?