- Mar 6, 2012
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Hey guy's, I need some big help aswell as others I'm sure do... so I wanted to try and start this thread to get some advice from some of you VET'S out there. I sarted Incubating for my first time on 3-18-12 along with a few others that started a thread on 3/18. This was my first time trying to hatch so I wasn't sure which Incubators to look for but a friend had a HovaBator 1602N and was having about 85-90% hatch rates so I tried it. I went and bought 2 HovaBator 1602N and a auto turner for the one I was going to be Incubating in and the other I plained to hatch in (I don't have fans). So from everything I read it said to Incubate chicken eggs at 100 degrees with 40-50% humidity the first 18 days and then move the humidity up to 60-70% for hatching but keep the temp at 100. Well I set up my Incubator 48hrs prior to putting the eggs in and I had my temp holding strong at 100 degrees and humidity holding at 45% both top red plugs in. I then waited until day 10 and candled the eggs I had 4 that were not developing or "duds" anyway the other 7 looked great...so I then waited until day 18 to candle again and all 7 looked good and growing. I set up the hatcher about 24hrs prior to putting them in the hatcher I had the temp holding at 100 degrees and the humidity set at 65%. I put the eggs in and the on day 21 hatch day I had 2 hatch about 2-3hrs late and 1 hatch almost 24hrs the other 4 didn't hatch? I opened them after waiting 2 extra days and all the chicks were fully developed but dead?
Well for the next hatch someone told me to raise the humidty on day 18 to 70% and try putting the eggs in egg crates and use exrta thermometers to make sure temp and humidty were good. So I did and I put 16 more eggs in to hatch I had the temp at 100 degrees and the humidity at 68-70% with 3 thermometers and the eggs pointy end down in crates. Well this time I had only 3 hatch out of 16 and 2 hatched 12-18hrs late and 1 hatched 24hrs late but died the second day. I opened the other 13 eggs and same thing they were all fully developed but dead?
I had another 4 that were developing good and ready to go in the hatcher this time someone said lower the humidity to 60% and take 1 of the top plugs out. I did what they said removed 1 plug got humidity holding good at 60-63% and temp at 100 degrees put the eggs in none hatched. I opened them after day 23 and all 4 were fully formed but dead?
I can't figure out where I'm going wrong I have both Incubators setup inside my home which stays about 68-70 degrees at all times. Also my thermometers have daily highs and lows and my temps never got below 98 degrees or above 101? I have had several people say neither of those high/lows would hert them but???
Anyways any help would be very very much appreciated
I raise Gold Laced Brahma's and Blue Laced Red Wyandottes aswell as French Blue Copper and Blue Wheaten Marans so I don't have to pay for eggs but I would like to stop killing my Baby Chicks! I collect my eggs every day and turn them 3 times a day before they are Incubated I also never set eggs older than 10 days but I usually set every 7 days. So I know it's not old or mis handled eggs and I don't take the lid off during hatch either. This is why I can't figure it out but obviously I'm deff doing something wrong I thought fan maybe? but others say they have hatched fine without it and live local to me. I know the eggs are doing good in the Incubating one because it's getting the chicks to day 18 just fine but sometime after day 18 there dieing??? Please help I know somebody has has these exact problems before??? Thanks
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