Incubator lost power

[TGinTX]

Just posting this in case someone else experiences the same. I was incubating some chicken eggs normally and on day 10 or so I checked on the eggs to find the incubator power completely off. I wiggled the plug and it started working again but the temp had dropped to 85 which was pretty much room temperature so I have no idea how long it was off - not over a day though.
I found a post that stated embryos would not survive below 95 or so. I was so sad but left the incubator on hoping for the best. Well, I candled before lockdown and many eggs were looked like they developed. The chicks are hatching out now & I don't think I have any lower numbers than usual.
I have no idea how warm the eggs remained since air likely cooled quicker. But I wanted to share my results in case someone else experiences the same & searches on this forum. I considered throwing them out and I wouldn't have known most of them would hatch still.

 

[Debbie292d]

Congrats on your hatch!

Ironically, I have one silkie chick in the incubator. He was the last egg to hatch under mom. I found the egg on the wood floor, unbroken. It had been pushed over a 2" rail onto the floor 2.5 feet below. It was 50F that night and this egg was ice cold. I assumed the hen knew it was dead and threw it out. I put it on my stomach and ran to the house to candle it. I saw a tiny movement. Put the egg in the incubator. The next day, (yesterday) it hatched.

Never lose hope, as sometimes they do miraculous things. I named it Miracle.




In your case, it was probably a few hours perhaps. Hens do get off their eggs nearly daily to eat and poop but usually return within a half hour.