This incubation is NOT going well!!! Need advice...

[LALADY1101]

Man this is not going good at all!!! I put 8 silkie eggs in the bator tues at 5:15 am (feb2). Since then, my temps are all over the place. My incubator is a Hovabator 2362 forced air with turner. I hatched silkies and rouen ducks last summer and everything went fine. The temperature fluctuations this time are ridiculous! It's ranging anywhere from 98.6 to 100.2. On an AVERAGE, it'll go to 99.3 and stay there for a while and then BAM!! change again. Do these babies stand a chance? I candled yesterday which would be day 5 and didn't see any veining. I don't remember if I should at this point. Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Is the room temp fluctuating? If so, that would be the problem. Does the incubator have a wafer thermostat. Maybe that keeps wiggling. If there isnt any veining by day 5, they are probably not fertile, just leave them in an extra couple days to make sure.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

It sounds like everybody's probably fine so far. You just gotta tinker with that little thermostat thingy constantly.

I think you're doing better than you realize and hopefully it will get easier.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

are you sure its not your thermometer, thats haywire, I had a problem like that and it was the thermometer, not the incubator

 

[LALADY1101]

Quote:
There prob is a little flucuation in the room temp. The odd thing is that the temp flucuations are never at the same time. I just checked the bator and the temp at the moment is 99.5 with humidity at 51% (which is the humidity that I hatched them at last year). So at the moment things are ok. However in a few hours who knows. There were 2 clear eggs when I candled yesterday, but the other ones all had little blobs. I'm still kinda hopeful for these babies. They are beautiful silkies from BYC'er old time gator. If this hatch doesn't go well, I'm not gonna try again until the summer.

 

[LALADY1101]

Quote:
I've got two of them in there.........however one of them keeps falling off the turner so I just left it one the bottom wire the last time it fell. I've prob ruined it by adding water to the bator. i think I got it wet.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Is it one of those cheep red and glass ones, I don't trust those, and went out and got a digital one, I had 3 of the glass ones and everyone read different

 

[LALADY1101]

OK so I'm a little more encouraged..... I just candled (I know not a good idea...2 days in a row.) and 3 of them have definite veins!!!!! Two are clear and the other 3 have something going on in them, so I am NOT giving up on these babies yet!!! Please send me some good hatching vibes abd cheer these babies on for me!!!!!!!!!

 

[LALADY1101]

Quote:
No...springfield digitals from walmart

 

[kathyinmo]

A little fluctuation like that is expected. I use the Spot Check thermometer, and the range goes up and down (I use the average). The heat cycles back on again, when it hits the low spot, and shuts off at the high. Is that what you are talking about ... how it cycles up and down?