Why did my eggs days around Day 17?

Well it was Day 27 so I gave up and eggtopsied the eggs that hadn't hatched. I originally set 38 eggs. When I did the eggtopysy's there were - 3 that had very small chicks in them about the size of my thumb with a huge yolk, 5 of them were fully developed and had started to absorb the yolk, 9 were fully developed but hadn't absorbed the yolk, 9 weren't fertile or died early on, and 8 of them were small about the same size as their yolk. 4 of them hatched. One of the ones that hatched didn't fully absorb his yolk and it was hanging halfway out. He died less than 48 hours later. I was using the dry hatch method so I believe the humidity was somewhere around 35-45% humidity until day 18 when I added water and it went up to 55-65% humidity. I am using a new LG still air with a digital thermostat. I have a wood stove for heat and a swamp cooler so my home's temps don't exactly stay steady. I wrapped my LG in a blanket to help insulate it. Why do you think so many chicks died so late in the game?

Did you go by the temperature on the LGs digital readout? I've found mine is about 3* low. Did the 4 chicks that hatched hatch on time, or were they late?

I'm guessing, especially if your LG is a still air, that your temps were low. Still airs have lots of temperature variations throughout. Your 4 hatchers were probably hanging out in warm spots, and the rest were dealing with low temps. But, that's just a guess.
It could've been any number of things, poor nutrition in the breeding flock, those embryos that died were just weaker than the rest, ect.

x2... and another consideration - wrapping in the blanket, make sure you don't cover any vents. Oxygen is a very important ingredient too! We pay so much attention to temperature and humidity, we often overlook ventilation.

Sorry you didn't have a great hatch, but we learn, and try again. Best of luck!

howfunkyisurchicken said:

Did you go by the temperature on the LGs digital readout? I've found mine is about 3* low. Did the 4 chicks that hatched hatch on time, or were they late?

I'm guessing, especially if your LG is a still air, that your temps were low. Still airs have lots of temperature variations throughout. Your 4 hatchers were probably hanging out in warm spots, and the rest were dealing with low temps. But, that's just a guess.
It could've been any number of things, poor nutrition in the breeding flock, those embryos that died were just weaker than the rest, ect.

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xs three. Still air needs to average about 101-102F taken near the top of the eggs, but it's very important to have a known accurate thermometer and hygrometer. Wether it's new or not, they need to be checked or you can loose your whole hatch (experienced it.) And the gages on the bators (especially the styros and especially lg) are often off. The lg 9300 has it's own set of issues because of the probe placement.

It is an LG still air 9300. I was not going off the thermometer and hygrometer on the incubator. They are all out of wack. I have 2 separate thermometers in it and a hygrometer. I have calibrated the hygrometer. When I wrapped it in the blanket I only covered the sides, I didn't cover the top at all. I have 66 eggs in it in lockdown right now and I have added a small fan to circulate the air.

So sorry to hear that. I would make a wild guess that maybe the type of wood in stove gave off fumes. But, I don't think that would penetrate shells in an incubator.

It's been so hot here that we haven't used the wood stove in a month or better. We have since built a much better incubator and the eggs that were in it are now hatching in the LG. So far 7 have hatched and there are many more pips. I honestly believe that the LG is a crappy incubator and I will have much better luck using it only for hatching.

Vnctan said:

It's been so hot here that we haven't used the wood stove in a month or better. We have since built a much better incubator and the eggs that were in it are now hatching in the LG. So far 7 have hatched and there are many more pips. I honestly believe that the LG is a crappy incubator and I will have much better luck using it only for hatching. 

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Excellent. Sounds like a better hatch. Congrats!

As of now 21 chicks have hatched and there are at least 4 or 5 more pips. They are adorable and I am so happy that so many of them have hatched. I feel so bad when they die.

Vnctan said:

As of now 21 chicks have hatched and there are at least 4 or 5 more pips. They are adorable and I am so happy that so many of them have hatched. I feel so bad when they die.

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Wow, that's a good amount of fluffy cuteness. Congrats!