**Incubator problems...HELP PLEASE!!**

[Quailer]

I bought some quail eggs and had my incubator all ready to go,
but when I opened the top to put all of the eggs in (I know I had it opened way to long), it lost all of
the heat.  now it has been about 24 hours and the temp has finally
stabalized at 99.5 degrees.  My question is:  Since it was a low
temperature until now, will this have hurt the developing embryos or
cause a low hatch?  The temp is good now....(but it took a whole day
to work its way back up to 99.5).  Thank you all so much for your help!  I am
so appreciative!  (PS> posted in the wrong section first time...apparently that is a big no no here)

Thanks!!!!
Quailer

[aKirA]

hmm...it shouldn't have taken 24 hours to get up to temp. Even so, it must've only been 1 or 2 degrees below?

You shouldn't have to worry. Since you were just first setting the eggs...it shouldn't have effected the eggs much.

[Quailer]

Thank you sooo much for your reply!  I was suprized it took so long to get up to temperature as well!  It was running about 95-96 for the first 8 hours or so, then gradually up to 99.5.  The other major concern is that when they were delivered, the mail person stuck the eggs in our metal mailbox that was directly in the sun.  It was supposted to be deliever to my door, so they sat in the sun for 5.5 hours.  I am assuming that several eggs died, if not all.  Cross your fingers for me, and hopefully we will see *some* eggs hatching!!!

Quailer

[CharlieHorse]

The incubator will need some time to bring the "cold" eggs up to temperature and stabalize.   They must not have gotten very warm from hanging out in the mailbox or the incubator temperature would/should have been higher than 100 degrees almost immediately if they were too warm, unless you let them cool down before putting them in.

[Quailer]

I let the eggs sit for 3 hours before putting them into the incubator, per instructions.  The mail box felt pretty hot to me, but I am ofcourse hoping that atleast some eggs will hatch!