Hatching chicken and duck eggs - declining rate

[Duckyy]

Hi all,

I hatch duck and chicken eggs for a local farmer when he needs to increase his flock maybe 2 times in spring/summer, have done for the past 5/6 years.

In the past, I’ve usually put 6 eggs in a small incubator and got at least 5 if not all of them out successfully. However, this year I’ve noticed that if I put 6 fertile eggs in, only 3 have been making it out. Haven’t changed anything in regard to humidity or temperature, but still around 50% of the eggs start to develop and then for some reason some stop about 2 weeks in or one of two of them make it to day 25-28 and then die.
The ones that hatch out are coming out textbook perfectly. Pip on air sac end and are usually out 24 hours from the external pip. I’ve done 3 batches of ducklings and 1 of chickens and I’ve had the exact same issue with all of them. I even tried to swap my incubator for a newer one from a neighbour in case it was my incubator. Put 18 fertile chicken eggs into the newer incubator and ended up with 7 chicks.

It just seems a bit bizarre to me given that I had a really good hatch rate previously

Has anyone else encountered this issue and does anyone know why it’s happening/how I can fix it? Quite annoying to be putting fertile eggs in for them to stop developing 10 days in or even worse just not hatch after making it all the way to the end!

Thanks!

 

[16 and me]

I don't have much experience, but this year was brutal for hatch rate for my 2 broodies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The issue may have nothing to do with your incubation technique.
IMHO, the cause of most hatching problems arises long before setting them in the incubator.
Who's eggs are they, yours or his?
Have you fumigated the incubator?

 

[HeritageFan]

@ChickenCanoe what do you mean / how do you fumigate an incubator?

I’ve had some issues that I believe to be mold / mildew in my bators, but when I asked about it here, the bulk of the replies said it was because I was using well water.
I know what hard water does, and our well is -fantastic-
But I was getting (what I believe to be) white mildew around my forced air fan?

So sorry- NOT trying to steal the thread from the OP!!
Please feel free to DM me w the incubator question!
@Duckyy
Are the layers possibly getting older?
Fertility rates change as the flock ages out, and, eggs from older duck hens tend to be more porous/ humidity comes much more into play if you are going to have a successful hatch in the bator.
....and the drakes tend to become less fertile, esp in either high heat, or highly fluctuating temps- if you are trying to hatch ducklings (based on your ID...idk what you are trying to hatch)
Do you run a separate hygrometer/ thermometer in your bator?
What is the age of the hens, what are they eating, and what temps and humidity are you using while trying to hatch them ?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@ChickenCanoe what do you mean / how do you fumigate an incubator?

I’ve had some issues that I believe to be mold / mildew in my bators, but when I asked about it here, the bulk of the replies said it was because I was using well water.
I know what hard water does, and our well is -fantastic-
But I was getting (what I believe to be) white mildew around my forced air fan?

I use activated oxine.
I would always read about fumigation but ignored it for a while. I have cabinet incubators but when using styrofoam incubators, they are difficult to disinfect. The way I always did it was with to clean stains as much as I could and a little diluted bleach, rinse thoroughly and dry in the sun.
Oxine is the best though. Used according to directions, it will kill all bacteria, virus and fungus. It works on small things like incubators or things as large as a coop or barn.
Several companies sell it, I get mine from Revival Health. You also need the citric acid activator but when combined what they gas off will get into all concealed parts and kill everything in there.

 

[HeritageFan]

I use activated oxine.
I would always read about fumigation but ignored it for a while. I have cabinet incubators but when using styrofoam incubators, they are difficult to disinfect. The way I always did it was with to clean stains as much as I could and a little diluted bleach, rinse thoroughly and dry in the sun.
Oxine is the best though. Used according to directions, it will kill all bacteria, virus and fungus. It works on small things like incubators or things as large as a coop or barn.
Several companies sell it, I get mine from Revival Health. You also need the citric acid activator but when combined what they gas off will get into all concealed parts and kill everything in there.

Thank you! I will look into that

 

[mcdze]

i doubt its mold in the incubator .. usually those issues are related to source of egg. getting them from juvenile hens or really old hens, eggs sitting to long before incubation, or actually no effing oxygen in the incubator .. it does have to have air flow ..