?the Lowest & the Highest?

[The Wolf Queen]

Whats the lowest and the highest temp an incubator can be without harming the eggs?

ETA: I have a brand new Hovabator that, with the turner, will hold 42 eggs, is a still air, and right now the temps are dropping from the high 99s to almost 102.0.

 

[Ban seabhag]

I think it depends a little on whether or not the incubator is a still air? Which do you have? It can be a little higher in a still air. High spikes don't necessarily mean disaster if they don't last too long but I am sure there are people here that can really give you solid advice. I kept my still air around 101 and never let it get lower (For long) than 99.5. My brinsea which has a fan system is always around 100 or slightly less. There have been threads here about temp spikes and power outages that either took temps as high as 108 for a spell or dropped seriously for several hours. Most people had chicks make it through this. I've had a lot of trouble with power outages this year, but they lasted only a few hours and we did okay.

 

[Mrs.HENderson]

I had the same question which is now answered

but now I have another question to go with that.

Where do u place the thermometer?? Do u place it under the light, next to it, or what?? I am trying to keep the temperature maintained to 94ish, i keep raising and lowering the light but the thermometer still reads like 100 or higher. I dont know what else to do so it wont hurt this chicks

when i get them in a week. Sorry if I added this question in the wrong spot. But Im new at this and I didnt know where else to add it.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

Mine is a new hovabator still air. Usually mine goes from the high 98s to the high 101s and isn't real constant. That's why I'm asking although so far it looks like all my eggs are doing great.

 

[Cats Critters]

My highest temp. was 107, It killed two chicks but the other 20 survived and hatched, there was also two duds but that had nothing to do with temp.

 

[Illia]

I believe it depends on still air versus forced air, and how long. In my still air, 107 degrees for more than 2 hours killed all of my chicks. In forced air, I've had chicks survive a low of 83 degrees for 2 or more hours. My forced air has never given me temp spike troubles though.

 

[aprophet]

I think you will find low temps will delay the hatch high temps will cook the embryo

 

[Akane]

To hatch on time you need around 100F. Slightly higher in a still air and slightly lower in a forced air. Eggs will still incubate and hatch from 96-103F but they will not be on time and if incubated too close to either extreme for too long you will likely lose some and chicks that hatch may be weak or with problems. Short term though as long as you are in that temp range they will continue to incubate. Outside that temp range you may lose chicks even over the short term but keep in mind eggs do not gain or lose heat as fast as the air temp so while your thermometer might say some really insane temperature the chick inside the egg could be several degrees cooler or warmer. That's why very short spikes into very extreme temps like up past 105F or down below 80F can still result in chicks hatching.

Temperature should be measured even with the eggs. Usually the thermometer is placed on the eggs or when using large sensors I've placed them on bits of cardboard in the middle of the eggs so it was still even with the height and location of the eggs. It's especially important in a still air and if you are filling a still air I'd suggest rotating the eggs so they are in different areas of the incubator or you may have some incubate slightly warmer than others and end up with a drawn out hatch that could result in more chicks lost. Fans will help eliminate the temperature gradient so it doesn't matter where the eggs are in the incubator.