I feel there's something basic I'm missing here, but can't see what.
I'm using a home made incubator, the Very Ugly Vintage Cooler Incubator
It has a thermostat from Incubator Warehouse, and two computer fans in the bottom.
First batch was 12 eggs. The rooster was still new-ish to the pen, so I expected less than stellar fertility. Did not wash or weigh eggs. Manually turned multiple times per day. Temp did fluctuate some as we don't have central air, but never below 97 or above 102, and those swings were pretty minimal and far between. Temp held pretty steady for the most part around 99-100. At lockdown I had 3 clear eggs, and 2 quitters. Humidity throughout the incubation was usually in the teens or 20s. I should have practiced bringing the humidity up before setting eggs. I used 3 pint jars without lids and humidity only went in the 30s. So, I wound up opening the incubator several times during what should have been lockdown, to re-wet sponges for humidity. I tried to keep humidity above 50% and did well for the most part, but I know there was too much opening the door.
One egg hatched spontaneously
Two eggs pipped and stalled, with dry membranes. I assisted them to hatch.
The other eggs never pipped. Cracked them later and all had fully formed chicks with nice large, correctly positioned air cells with no fluid in the cell.
Second batch, I tried to learn from the bad lockdown. I drilled extra ventilation holes, thinking the humidity had been too low during incubation, and maybe just not enough air flow. I also ran 1/4" tubing through one hole, into a shallow pan on the bottom shelf. Hooked a syringe to it to pour water in without opening the door. Did a practice run and was able to hold humidity 50-70% pretty well.
20 eggs made it to lockdown. I did not open the incubator at all. Temp had been very steady all incubation. Humidity had been 20-30%. During lockdown I brought that up above 50%, usually in the 50-60% range.
4 hatched. 2 healthy, 1 with a partially absorbed yolk and and without absorbing the yolk much at all. The non-absorber flopped all over the place and smeared yolk and blood on a few of the other eggs. Once I realized they yolk issue, I had to open the incubator as it was beginning to smell. That was early on day 22, though, so I think whoever was going to hatch had already hatched. Only one other egg was pipped, and the chick was already dead.
The two chicks with yolk issues both died.
I opened all the other eggs. One was a quitter, one was clear I hadn't been able to see when candling , I guess cause it's a pretty dark green. All the others, 14 eggs in total, had what appeared to be fully developed chicks. All had nice large air cells, properly positioned, with no fluid in them. The membranes were soft and pliable, nice and white and very easy for me to break through.
So, any ideas on why these chicks just aren't hatching? I appreciate any and all wisdom from you experienced hatchers
I'm using a home made incubator, the Very Ugly Vintage Cooler Incubator
It has a thermostat from Incubator Warehouse, and two computer fans in the bottom.
First batch was 12 eggs. The rooster was still new-ish to the pen, so I expected less than stellar fertility. Did not wash or weigh eggs. Manually turned multiple times per day. Temp did fluctuate some as we don't have central air, but never below 97 or above 102, and those swings were pretty minimal and far between. Temp held pretty steady for the most part around 99-100. At lockdown I had 3 clear eggs, and 2 quitters. Humidity throughout the incubation was usually in the teens or 20s. I should have practiced bringing the humidity up before setting eggs. I used 3 pint jars without lids and humidity only went in the 30s. So, I wound up opening the incubator several times during what should have been lockdown, to re-wet sponges for humidity. I tried to keep humidity above 50% and did well for the most part, but I know there was too much opening the door.
One egg hatched spontaneously
Two eggs pipped and stalled, with dry membranes. I assisted them to hatch.
The other eggs never pipped. Cracked them later and all had fully formed chicks with nice large, correctly positioned air cells with no fluid in the cell.
Second batch, I tried to learn from the bad lockdown. I drilled extra ventilation holes, thinking the humidity had been too low during incubation, and maybe just not enough air flow. I also ran 1/4" tubing through one hole, into a shallow pan on the bottom shelf. Hooked a syringe to it to pour water in without opening the door. Did a practice run and was able to hold humidity 50-70% pretty well.
20 eggs made it to lockdown. I did not open the incubator at all. Temp had been very steady all incubation. Humidity had been 20-30%. During lockdown I brought that up above 50%, usually in the 50-60% range.
4 hatched. 2 healthy, 1 with a partially absorbed yolk and and without absorbing the yolk much at all. The non-absorber flopped all over the place and smeared yolk and blood on a few of the other eggs. Once I realized they yolk issue, I had to open the incubator as it was beginning to smell. That was early on day 22, though, so I think whoever was going to hatch had already hatched. Only one other egg was pipped, and the chick was already dead.
The two chicks with yolk issues both died.
I opened all the other eggs. One was a quitter, one was clear I hadn't been able to see when candling , I guess cause it's a pretty dark green. All the others, 14 eggs in total, had what appeared to be fully developed chicks. All had nice large air cells, properly positioned, with no fluid in them. The membranes were soft and pliable, nice and white and very easy for me to break through.
So, any ideas on why these chicks just aren't hatching? I appreciate any and all wisdom from you experienced hatchers