Temp Problems

[frenchiegirl21]

Hello,

I borrowed an incubator from a friend this week so that I could hatch more eggs (since a friend of mine had 31 eggs for me). It stayed stable for 8 hours so I put the eggs in and have had nothing but trouble since then. The temperature would fluctuate by 8 degrees or more with me not touching the thermostat! Today I got a different incubator to try since the first wasn't working out, and in the process of setting up the second borrowed incubator I found out the nice thermometer/hygrometer that the friend had for his (crappy) incubator isn't accurate!!!!!!!

So, my question is: With only 2 full days of incubating gone by is there any hope my eggs in the crappy incubator are resilient enough to still develop and hatch? I honestly have no idea what the true temp was, but the inaccurate thermometer read 97 degrees yesterday morning, stayed stable at about 100, and then read 102 this morning.

 

[kuchchicks]

My last hatch I was relying on a "trusted" thermometer which turned out to be wrong... I did not catch it until day 3. When I figured out that the thermometer was wrong I came to realize that the temp had been going up and down from 100-102 (just like what you are describing). I was so upset. I had 41 eggs set including 9 pretty expensive eggs and I was sure that I had killed them all. I was able to get my temps stabilized at the correct temp, and then I had to wait... on day 7 I candled and was just hoping that they were ok. The bad news is that half of my eggs did not make it. The good news is that of the ones that did make it 87% hatched.

So lesson learned... first make sure that even if you have a "trusted" thermometer, make sure you test it before EACH use. Second, life finds a way!

Good luck! I'll send prayers your way. Let me know what happens when you candle.

 

[frenchiegirl21]

Thanks @kuchchicks ! I'm hoping that I caught it early enough. I tested this "trusted" thermometer against my own proven one and the "trusted" one reads 1 degree higher than it actually is in the incubator. So, the eggs were too cold more often than too hot, which I hear is better. I'm hoping for development, and I'll take late hatchers over no hatchers!

 

[kuchchicks]

Yes if you have to have temp problems too cool is way better. Egg love your way!

 

[frenchiegirl21]

Well, out of the 28 eggs in that incubator only 2 appear to be alive. Quite a few are pretty developed but seem to be dead

I'm really disappointed and frustrated by that. Thankfully my incubator of 42 only had 8 infertile and everything else looks good!

 

[kuchchicks]

Leave them in there anyway. You never know!

 

[frenchiegirl21]

That's what I'm doing. As my mom said, the developing chicks could've been sleeping while I was taking a peek!