HELP!! I'm murdering my chickies-I think?

[willow]

I am so bummed out. Here's my hatches so far on eggs I gotten

perfectly_polish-5 out of 12

Justusnack-2 out of at least 12 (can't remember exact number gotten)

gamebirdsonly-0 out of 6 (first 6, I just got more)

alaskanhenhouse-2 out of 12 (on day 25 and still no more)

mine-guineas-99% hatch( it figures), Muscoveys-NONE have hatched for me except the ones under my hens. Mixed eggs are also hatching well(again, it figures!)

I have also hatched MANY

guineas that were my eggs. Now the eggs that I've gotten have for the most part been fertile and have developed BUT they won't hatch!!!!

Here's my setup. I have an old Sears model 213 57- it's the big round metal one (got it for $2.50 at an auction, no one knew what it was

). Temp. in it is 98-100. Humidity is like 35-40% as I try to dry hatch. The chicks are developing in there.

Next I have the "hatcher". It is the basic GQF. I move them to here at day 18 or whatever depending on the kind of egg. Temp. is 98-100. Humidity is from 60-70%. Now some are hatching but most are not??

I have opened some after waiting quite awhile after hatch due time and I'd say 98% are fully formed and look like they were going to hatch. The membranes were moist. No bad smells. Also, between hatches I clean the hatcher so I have a clean one to restart.

HELP!! I'm desperate-I feel really bad about these not hatching. It is making me feel like I'm a murderer

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I hand turn the eggs in the 'bator.

I now have turkey eggs, goose eggs and more in the incubator. They are not far along and I really need help so they survive.

I know I havew never had this bad of hatches on my muscoveys. they are VERY fertile but some get to a point were they just stop developing and others just don't hatch

Come on now, There has to be something I can do for my babies

 

[sueg6255]

I am having the same problem. I feel so terrible. I had great hatches last year and this year is terrible.

If you find out what is wrong let me know too.

I am giving up right now because I feel like a murderer everytime they die in the egg. Even if I would get a few But to have some many die I can't can't take it right now. Al the work and time for nothing and those poor birds.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Well the temps are good. Are you increasing your humidity the last 3 days? I keep my humidity at 55% to start and then increase it to 65-70% the last 3 days. Are you turning the eggs? They should be turned at least 3 times at day, 5 is better. Here is a sight that may help. www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/trouble.htm

Good luck and don't give up!!

I see that you said you hand turn them. Are you able to do it quickly? If your humidity goes down to much each time you turn could be a factor in chick survial. But it is better than not turning at all.
Are you having any temp. spikes?

 

[perfectly_polish]

This has been happening to me too lately. I have a Genesis w/a turner and I move the eggs into a hova 'bator turbo fan incubator the last 3 days to hatch. At first I was getting excellent rates and now all my eggs are developing and making it up to the last day and fail to pip and die. The guinea eggs I got from you I had 9 out of 12 hatch, the rest weren't fertile, and the muscovie eggs all developed made it to the last day and none hatched! I couldn't believe I was so bummed out. Maybe it's because we move them to a hatcher? Who knows. But I would defiantly like some suggestions also because I should be getting more of your scovie eggs any day now

 

[yotetrapper]

Same thing here as well. I thought it was moving to a hatcher causing it as well, but this time I didnt move them (as they were the last hatch) and did even WORSE. 4 of 11. Just can't figure it all, all fully developed, beaks next to the air sac but not broke into it (1 broke in). <sigh>

 

[GallowayFarms]

are you making sure to wear gloves when you turn them? The oil from your hands might be sealing up the eggs.

Auto turners are pretty cheap these days and if you are buying all those eggs from somewhere that is a lot of wasted money and the turner would have paid for itself by now.

Good luck and I will try and do some more research for ya.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

If you don't have staggered hatches there is no reason to use a hatcher in my opinion...I have an old Transparent hen incubator I have used for years, it would be called a still air I guess...I keep the temps at 100 to 101, my humidity at 40 to 50% the first 18 days...hand turn the eggs 3 times a day, just make sure your hands are clean before and after turnings...up the humidity to 60 to 70% the last 3 days and have excellent clean hatches....

My other incubator is a Hova circulated air 1583...I haven't had to adjust the temp from the first day I started using it, 99.7 ...same as above bator for humidity levels and it has a turner...

I do not use either as a hatcher....After each hatch make sure you are cleaning your incubators out to prevent bacteria growth for the next hatch of eggs..... and make sure your bators are getting oxygen if they have vents that need to be pulled at hatch time...

 

[yotetrapper]

That may be her problem, but I use a turner, so I dont think it's mine.

 

[willow]

Well, at least I'm not alone in this.

Hopefully, we can all get some answers. It just seems odd to me that we can get really good hatches and then so bad??

I forgot to mention that the ones that do hatch are strong and are still alive, so what's up???

 

[perfectly_polish]

Forgot to add that I got 7 speckled sussex eggs from Buster, all developed and made it to day 19/20 and all failed to hatch. I opened them up and they were fully developed beautiful chicks. I know some people say if it doesn't hatch it shouldn't, but I just don't understand why they all made it so far and not one hatched