Coturnix eggs not hatching or dying in egg after pipping.

[RTyler7071]

I've incubated three batches of eggs so far this spring. Purchased via the mail from three different sources. Out of 50+ eggs I have 3 hatched over the 3 incubations. Three others pipped and then died in the shell. Using farm innovations forced air incubator with turner, humidity at 50% and temp via two different thermometers in the incubator between 99 and 100, upped humidity to 65% for last four days with no turning.. Can't figure it out. Hatched many last year with a homemade incubator but the thermostat wasn't working this year so I figured I would upgrade to a real one.

Anybody got any ideas what the problem could be? Please, suggestions would be helpfull.

Thanks in advance

Rich

 

[feedman77]

I have not hatched any quail yet.

Plan to set some this weekend.

But with my turkeys and chickens at least for me to have better hatch rates. I keep my humidity between 25-35 percent. Raise it to 75 for hatch.

For me that's a dry incubation. No water added to Wells at all.

Shipped eggs are tough enough. My rates with those are abysmal.

When they hatched did any chicks seem sticky or really wet?

2nd are you using the humidity Gauge on the incubator? I have not found one that's really close whether cheap or expensive small incubator. I have a brinsea, 1588 genesis, and lgs. All read off.

 

[RTyler7071]

Humidity could be the problem. I will find another gauge and compare. I found the temp is way off and adjusted accordingly but wasn't thinking about humidity as much.

When those that hatched did, they dried fairly quickly.

Tks, I will check my gauge.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Bator settings sounds good enough. Sounds like bad eggs. Maybe an unseen spike in the temp that killed them. Did you candle the unhatched eggs to see if there there were any development at all?

 

[Robert C R]

Sounds to me like a serious humidity issue. I had same issue with a friend of mine. He was getting pips but then losing birds, I went to his house and readjusted his bator, my recommendation is 49% humidity first 14 days 65-70% last 4 days. Do not open the bator until the birds are hatched. Letting the humidity out the last 4 days will cause "stuck" birds. When they pip but cannot get out they are stuck to the membrane, we have a rule at my incubator. We wait 3 hours after a pip is made, if the bird hasn't came out we help it. I know,there is a lot of frowning doing this, but I have a 98% hatch/survival rate doing this way. Try it out. See if you notice a difference

 

[RTyler7071]

Thanks for the info, I will definitly be looking at my humidity levels and incorporating all the great help. Thanks!

 

[RTyler7071]

Yup, candled them all got rid of the ones that weren't viable.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Sounds to me like a serious humidity issue. I had same issue with a friend of mine. He was getting pips but then losing birds, I went to his house and readjusted his bator, my recommendation is 49% humidity first 14 days 65-70% last 4 days.

You got me confused; those are almost the exact settings RTyler is using. RT said his were "humidity at 50% and temp via two different thermometers in the incubator between 99 and 100, upped humidity to 65% for last four days."



Back to RT, I'm not convinced humidity is the problem. Out of 50 eggs you candled viable, 3 hatched and 3 pipped and died in the shell. What happened to the other 44? Did you eggtopsy them to see what stage of development they were in when they died?
Since this aint your first rodeo I asume you also considered bator filthy or chemical residue from cleaning and eggs filthy or harshly cleaned. I was reading on the chicken board the other day that somebody was having poor hatch rates and it was because they were loading their racks with the eggs upside down. Pointy end goes down and fat round end goes up.

I'm kinda nonchalant about humidity. I dump a cup of water in the day I load the racks. It dries out after several days and the duration is a "dry hatch." Around day 16 I dump a cup of water in the other bator I use as a hatcher and place the eggs in there. I never look at the humidity meters any more and couldn't tell you what the humidity is but I know my method makes around 75% after I dump the water in and in 3-4 days it drops to around 30-40%. Around day 18 chicks start hatching like popcorn popping. Usually have 1 or 2 that die while pipping and several that die in various stages of development. The other nonhatchers were either cracked when I loaded them or nonfertile to begin with. I'm too lazy to candle 120 tiny eggs so usually only hatch about 75-90 chicks, but that's all my brooder & growout cages can handle anyway.

I'm on the Gulf Coast where the humidity is always 85-95%, my bators are a styro Hovator and a Little Giant in a non-climate control room of my house. Your milage may vary.
Hope this helps some.

 

[Tony K T]

I wouldn't up the humidity at all.If they are developing the humidity is good.Plus when they start to hatch they are releasing moister also which will up the humidity a little.Your temp has to be taken from the egg level and not at the top of the bator.I would also use 3 thermometers instead of 2.If they read different which one do you go by?If you have 3 and 2 are reading close you can be a little more accurate.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[RTyler7071]

I am going to get me another humidity meter and check mine without eggs in it for a few days to make sure everything jives. You are right, not my first rodeo. No offense taken to anything said. Pointy end down, unknown how shipper cleaned them, if at all. I use a bleach/water solution then rinse well and air it out. I had it running for 2 days before I put the eggs in. Let eggs sit for 24 hours prior to putting them in the incubator.

Incubator gauges (the temp/humidity) at top egg level. Secondary thermometer at bottom of egg level. Did find that incubator temp gauge was 4 degrees off, adjusted accordingly. Not sure on humidity. Temp is fairly constant in the room I incubated in. Roughly 68 - 70 degrees.

Best I can figure out, combination of humidity, egg source, unknown conditions during shipping. Closest chicks I can find are 2 hours away, but wife has appointment close to that so will go that route and try to incubate eggs I get later.

I've hatched them in the past with a homemade incubator with a 80% or better success rate. Went to store bought machine and have no clue what the hell is going wrong. (My home made machine thermostat went out and had the extra cash)

I did do an "eggtopsy" on about 10 of the ones that didn't hatch. I gave them an extra day before I did, total of 19 days. Two exploded, foul smell, fully developed. 6 others I checked were fully developed also. No pipped shells or cracks on any of those that didn't hatch.

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. I'm willing to try anything.