incubator temp for hatching eggs

[jjtrucker]

I am incubating eggs for the first time. I have 2 duck eggs and 12 silkie eggs. The incubator I am using is a little giant 9300 still air incubator. I got a separate thermometer / hygrometer from petsmart and it is showing my temp bouncing around 98-101. Everytime I open the incubator to turn my eggs my temp drops to about 96 or so and takes forever to get the temp back up. I am constantly having to adjust the incubator controls to hold a good temp. I have been trying to make a fan for the incubator because I heard that helps but so far I can't get the fan to work. Will my eggs still hatch? I am trying so hard but starting to get discouraged that they won't hatch because the temp won't stay right.will they still hatch with the temp being at 96 for a long time?

 

[Wyandottes7]

It's hard to say whether they will hatch or not. Eggs are remarkably resilient, even to changes in temperature. The inside of the eggs takes longer to cool down than the surrounding air, so even if it fluctuates from 98 to 101, the egg may not change much in temperature.But if it lasts a while, then the cooling could affect them. In general, a too-cool temperature will cause the hatch to begin later and the chicks to be weaker.

Have you candled the eggs to see if they are alive and developing?

 

[jjtrucker]

It's hard to say whether they will hatch or not. Eggs are remarkably resilient, even to changes in temperature. The inside of the eggs takes longer to cool down than the surrounding air, so even if it fluctuates from 98 to 101, the egg may not change much in temperature.But if it lasts a while, then the cooling could affect them. In general, a too-cool temperature will cause the hatch to begin later and the chicks to be weaker.

Have you candled the eggs to see if they are alive and developing? 

I have not candled them yet because they have only been in for two days.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I am incubating eggs for the first time. I have 2 duck eggs and 12 silkie eggs. The incubator I am using is a little giant 9300 still air incubator. I got a separate thermometer / hygrometer from petsmart and it is showing my temp bouncing around 98-101. Everytime I open the incubator to turn my eggs my temp drops to about 96 or so and takes forever to get the temp back up. I am constantly having to adjust the incubator controls to hold a good temp. I have been trying to make a fan for the incubator because I heard that helps but so far I can't get the fan to work. Will my eggs still hatch? I am trying so hard but starting to get discouraged that they won't hatch because the temp won't stay right.will they still hatch with the temp being at 96 for a long time?

My first hatch attempt I was using only 1 thermometer, but I thought it was good because it was brand new. After a failed hatch that produced one lonely chick at day 24 I found out my brand new thermometer was reading about 6-7 degrees higher than the bator actually was. So the average temp was 93-94 degrees average. My one little hatcher is a three month roo and we love him to death, but he still doesn't have all his adult feathers and I'm finding the bigger he gets there are little things, such as balance that are off and when he gets real active he tends to breath from his mouth. I am assuming that what I am seeing is due to delayed development.
So can they hatch at that temp. Yes, usually later than norm, but you have a higher chance of the chicks having problems too.
When you turn and the temp drops it will take a bit for the temp in the bator to come back up, but give it a couple hours before you start playing with the controls because that will keep throwing your temp off. The eggs themselves don't loose the heat that fast, so they are actually going to be warmer than what the temp is going to read when you first close it back up.

 

[jjtrucker]

Ok thank you. I really want a good hatch especially since my husband is complaining about the eggs costing $25 for the silkie eggs lol. The duck eggs are my own. I am up constantly day and night checking the temp and all. I am fixing to just make my own incubator and abandon the little giant.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok thank you. I really want a good hatch especially since my husband is complaining about the eggs costing $25 for the silkie eggs lol. The duck eggs are my own. I am up constantly day and night checking the temp and all. I am fixing to just make my own incubator and abandon the little giant.

I use a little giant with the fan kit installed. I can't complain (especially since I stole it from my sister...lol) It holds the temp decent once I get it where I need it. That seems to be the biggest pain. But I am constantly monitoring it when hatching, even through the night. With the exception of the thermometer on the first hatch being off, the bator itself has done pretty good. I'd never set it and leave it to it's own devices as I don't trust it that much....lol, but as long as I can monitor it I'm good with it.

There's a couple good home made incubator threads onn here. I've seen lots of cool ideas and designs. You might want to check them out if you do your own.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Still air incubators should be set to 101F measured at top level of eggs.

Being low for a few days isn't a huge concern, they will die at 95F for extended time I believe but in general it retards the growth and if for many days will lower hatch rate. A few days ranging 98 to 101 isn't bad at all but I'd bump it up to 99.5 to 102.5 range measured at top of eggs. All incubators have a temp fluctuation, you average the swing for your true reading.

 

[jjtrucker]

Ok I will thanks. I'm in town and just had my dad go check the incubator and the temp is 94!

 

[klilly20]

I am incubating eggs for the first time. I have 2 duck eggs and 12 silkie eggs. The incubator I am using is a little giant 9300 still air incubator. I got a separate thermometer / hygrometer from petsmart and it is showing my temp bouncing around 98-101. Everytime I open the incubator to turn my eggs my temp drops to about 96 or so and takes forever to get the temp back up. I am constantly having to adjust the incubator controls to hold a good temp. I have been trying to make a fan for the incubator because I heard that helps but so far I can't get the fan to work. Will my eggs still hatch? I am trying so hard but starting to get discouraged that they won't hatch because the temp won't stay right.will they still hatch with the temp being at 96 for a long time?

Don't give up they may still hatch. candle them at 14th day you should be able to tell if they developing then and some movement. remember mother hen some times gets off the nest feed. Wish you luck in all the world. I hope they all hatch.. Oh by the way welcome to BYC

 

[jjtrucker]

Thank you! I have given up on my little giant and made my own incubator and it is working sooo much better.