Too High Temp-hatch?

[JayDe]

We had our incubator set at 100 degrees with 45-55% humidity for at least 2 days before we got our eggs. I got the eggs yesterday evening and put them in at night. My daughter helped. When I got home last night the incubator was at 108 degrees. I don't know how it got there (maybe my helper?) I'm not sure how long it was that high, but I brought it back down within an hour.

Today I put in the other set of eggs. I know staggering isn't a good idea, but I'm guessing the ones that went up to 108 probably won't make it. Has anyone had ones that developed after temporary high temperatures like that? I'll candle at 8 days and see what happens..but it would be nice to know if anyone else has ever done something like that with chickens who lived to tell the tale...

 

[PotterWatch]

My temp went up to 108 for a bit on day one for my eggs that are in right now. I don't know how long it was that high (it was 102 and then 2hrs later it was 108). A couple people said that they still might make it if it wasn't that high for too long and that a temp spike that early in incubation isn't as bad as later on. I am going to candle in another couple days to see if any of them made it. I hope they will and yours too!

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi Jess! I'm so sorry to hear that.. 108 is really hot (killing temps), but they might make it IF air temperature was only that hot for a short time.
The only was to be sure is wait and see if they start to develop.
The 'saving grace' may be that that your eggs had just gone in and internal egg temperature was not up to 100 yet --- so internal egg temp never got to killing temps.
*Fingers crossed*

Lisa

 

[neferset]

Are these Little Giant incubators? I'm asking, because I have two of them. It seems like they jump in temperature when I put eggs in. I can have them going rock steady for days and within a couple hours of me putting those precious eggs in, the temps soar and I have to adjust back down. I don't believe this weird effect has done anything to my hatch rate, though. (It's never been that high for very long.)

My Hovabator doesn't seem to do this so much, but it's forced air and the Little Giants I have aren't.

 

[JayDe]

Mine is a hovabator. I think it was a user error (my daughter must have touched the thermostat while she was "helping") rather than the incubator itself jumping. When I added my second set of eggs the next morning, the temperature went down a bit because of the eggs and took about an hour to readjust to the 100 degrees again.

 

[mulia24]

maybe, they will still survive, but some won't.

many times we can't trust thermometer so, when we get good high rate success then you must remember how to set them and what temp/humidity set to get that high rate and you can learn from this *mistake*.

good luck.

 

[monita]

i have a LG bator and have had no problems with the temp and humidity at all. i have 2 thermometers and a hygrometer in it my temp stays between 99F-101F and my humidity stays between 50%-60%. my humidity goes down to 45% about every day and a half so i just wet the sponge with warm water again and it goes back up to where it is supposed to be for another day and a half. mine is doing great. i think you may be right about your "helper" tho. let us know how the eggs are doing and good luck with your hatch!!!

 

[PotterWatch]

I have a hovabator also. I'm certain mine was user-error. We had a bunch of kids over to help mark the eggs and put them in the bator as a homeschool project. I imagine one of the kids messed with the dial unknowingly.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I had a spike of 107 in my LG last year. I had checked it before I went to bed and it was at 107 when I got up. I think because it wasn't at 107 for long, the hatch was just fine. If you caught it before the internal temp hit 108 you should be ok too.

 

[JayDe]

Thanks! It's good to hear that someone's went up almost that high and they hatched. I'll be candling on the 17th (day 8) and I'll let everyone know. If anyone else has similar stories, keep em coming=)