Incubation Questions

[sobble]

I recently tried my first batch of eggs, and I unfortunately didn't get a single chick to develop beyond about day 10 or so. I set 6 eggs.

It was day 17 today - four of them were only dark spots sitting on top of the egg (which I believe would have been the yolk? but it wasn't floating - they didn't move when I turned the egg.) and two had had veins at some point, as I said they looked to be anywhere from day 9 to day 10 when I examined them.

I just don't know where I went wrong. I'm using a Nurture Right 360. The temperature was 99.5 consistently throughout the entire incubation process. It maybe flickered up to 100.0 once or twice when I was messing with the top to candle, but always returned within five minutes. I kept my humidity between 50-55%.

Candling today, I believe my problem may have been the humidity. Except for one of the eggs that had begun to develop, the air cells were very small.

I'm so disappointed but I want to keep trying. I'm getting some fertile hatching eggs shipped, but I don't think fertility should be an issue (we have one roo to four hens) unless the eggs that never developed beyond a dark spot are indicative of infertility.

Are my levels off? I was following the guide that came with my incubator, but I've since learned that at least the humidity was likely wrong. I've also seen some people say the eggs should be at 100/100.5?

My incubator sets eggs on their side - could I have still put the eggs in wrong?

I've tried to read the pinned guides but there's just so much information and a lot of the links lead to threads that have moved and such.

I know that's quite a few questions in one post, but I appreciate any and all answers. Thank you!!

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

We’re you turning your eggs? Do you have a back up thermometer and humidity reader. I know the one on my incubator sucks so I always have 2 back ups in the incubator. Infertile eggs would be clear. How you store eggs before you incubate can affect your hatch rate as well. Eggs should be stored in cool environment I like to use my basement and eggs should be turned regularly before and after incubation has started. It’s often the case that the first few tries don’t go so well but strange you didn’t get any. A clear egg would be an infertile egg (no dot no veins nothing). Your temperature may have needed to be slightly higher if your incubator is a still air (no fan). Your humidity could have been a little lower I typically keep mine closer to 40% but even at 50-55 I feel like you should have had some eggs make it to lockdown.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Well, the only good thing about the experience is given the situation that all 6 developed the same amount, you are pretty much guaranteed that one (or more) of these things went wrong:

- Eggs were not turned properly
- Humidity did not stay in the 35-55 RH range
- Temperature wasn't constant at 99-101 range (ideally 99.5)

The fact that they did start developing but quits suggests your heat was probably at least close enough (and incubators are pretty good at maintaining heat). You know if the incubator turns them or if you turn them... so you can easily figure that one out- which leaves humidity.