Fully developed chick did not hatch - Help!

[Jubaby]

My last two hatches resulted in quite a few fully grown chicks who died in the shell never pipped. What is causing this?

I was very careful with temps and humidity this last time. Any advice?

My incubators are the genesis 1588 model. Using two different thermometers and hygrometers.

Seriously thinking about buying an RCom or a Brinsea Octogon 20 incubators - which one would you choose?

 

[quailbrain]

I would have gone towards heat and humidity but with two guages..... well......

Do you open the door much?


Sometimes if the adults were not healthy the chickks can be too weak to hatch...


I just don't know. i'd be leaning towards temp and humidity if you didn't have two readings.

 

[Jubaby]

I only candled once at day 10. And opening the bator every few days to add water. I prefer the hands off approach.

Some of the eggs were shipped eggs, but even some of my own eggs did the same thing. This last batch had 11 shipped egg - 3 hatched successfully, 2 eggs didn't develop, 6 died in the shell. 11 of my own eggs - 7 hatched successfully, 1 with no development, 3 died in the shell.

 

[eggsrcool]

Are you sure your thermometer and hygrometer were calibrated properly, as mentioned in a previous post I'm leaning towards humidity/temp problems

 

[farmin'chick]

I don't know the genesis, but are you getting ventilation?

 

[dani2]

I would try increasing your humidity by adding a wet sponge or other water source. The big thing if it is not working change something the next time around.

 

[Jubaby]

I have the one plug on the top out. That's the only vent hole there is. I have been keeping towels around the sides and bottom of the incubator to keep the heat up, but leaving the hole on top uncovered. Maybe that's it.

Last summer my hatches were near 100%, but I wasn't using the towels, because it was much warmer in the house.

 

[Bluemoon420]

The hovabator I am currently using is borrowed. When I borrowed it, the owner had it in an old box for computer paper. It fit perfectly inside it. He said he found it held temps better with it in the box. I haven't had any issues with temp, and kept it in the box like he said. The one I have has two red plugs. I keep both plugs out. I'm on second hatch with it, and I found leaving the plugs out ( even during hatch) works well. If I have to raise the humidity a little bit, I just take one plug, and put it upside down over one hole. It takes maybe 10 minutes for the humidity to go back up. Then I leave it off again.

Bluemoon

 

[CallyB57]

Well, I don't know anything about incubators, but my little Silkie hen just hatched out 4 beautiful babies and I'm hoping my EE's two blue eggs will result in two beautiful EE chicks. Try using a real chicken to hatch the eggs.

 

[Jubaby]

I have done that and of course, mother nature is always best. Unfortunately no broody hens at this time.