Worried about my Incubator!!! Any Ideas

[goosemama]

Started a hatch of 40 eggs on 4/2 from my own flock using two different roosters to make comparisons. Got the temp at l00 and humidity about 50% for 2 days, put in the eggs and all seemed well for a week. Now after a week the humidity spiked to 75% for some unknown reason and the temp started to climb. I quickly adjusted temp knob and finally mopped up excess water trapped under the bottom. I put in an extra humidity/temp gauge just to be sure the first wasn't faulty. Now one reads temp of 99 and humidity 49% on one side and on the other side of the bator its l04 temp same humidity - how can there possibly be a range of 5 degrees within inches??? I am afraid I am going to lose the whole lot. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I have NO idea where I bought the incubator from to write or call them. Its was a new Hova-Bator 2362N with the egg turner (not cheap). Our first hatch two years ago hatched 38 of 40 eggs without a hitch and last year none of them hatched! I blamed the eggs since I bought them online but now I'm not so sure. Does anyone have any suggestions????

 

[loveourbirds]

yes that temperature difference is possible, especially in older still air incubators. if your temperature spike wasn't lower than 60 or so degrees for a long period of time, your chicks should be fine. expect a small delay in your hatch.

someone else may have better advice than I do, but this is my 2 cents.
make a plywood box the same size as your incubator, but an inch or 2 taller; install a shelf for your wire rack to sit on. for humidity use aluminum foil disposable brownie pans (or something similar). when you move your heating element replace your thermostat (I used wafer thermostats in the past with great success). find a 110v computer fan (maybe one laying around in old computer?) add that fan to the top of the incubator inside of the coil of your heating element. remember to drill some holes for vents (I used corks to stop them up as needed.)

old timers will tell you redwood is best, but where I am its hard to get. I used 1/2" medium density fiberboard (mdf) when I made mine.

if you are hatching several chicks at a time, you might consider buying a small wooden cabinet incubator. you can pick them up used for typically $300-$400 depending on condition. I have 3 sportsman cabinets now and I love them. my chick quality is better and I have better hatch rates than when I had Styrofoam incubators.

just to be on the safe side, when your chicks hatch have some save a chick handy, or add some sugar to their water.

hope this helps, and ill keep my fingers crossed for you,
brian