Problems Hatching Black Copper Marans

[AZ Heat]

I bought 3 dozen Black Copper Marans to hatch in my Genesis Hova Bator. The person I bought them from said they needed higher humidity at about 65% through the process, then slightly higher at lockdown (around 70%).

So following these directions, I only had 1/3 success, which is very poor for me. The last couple were hatched with a thick film on them that never dried. It was like egg white stuck to them. All the others got fluffy after drying, these eventually needed to be washed off before getting fluffy. These same ones get stuck in their shell for several days (but with help, they got out and are normal... after lockdown was over of course).

But as I checked on the ones that didn't hatch, they were ALL fully developed. I can't figure out what I did wrong. Too dry? Too wet? Temp was perfect. The air pockets had no water in it. The inside of the membrane around the chicks was moist. No pipping or anything.

Any suggestions, thoughts or help would be appreciated. I always have a huge success rate on my hatches but this is the first time hatching Black Copper Marans. Should I just use the normal procedures, humidity, etc for them next time?

 

[gwendalynn28]

That's kind of crazy. I had some this weekend that pipped and died. I can't figure out the reason why either. This time around, I'm keeping the humidity between 40-50% for the first 19 days. Then I'm upping it to 70% for lockdown, more if looks like the chicks are struggling to get out. I'm trying bantam eggs one more time. My first hatch this season, only one bantam survived, second hatch, no survivors. This time I have 14 golden sebright and silver sebright eggs I'm setting today. This is my last try so I hope I get some babies. I have one bantam rooster and I'm trying to get him some ladies. I think the two Silkies I bought are gonna be hens. The first bantam I hatched this season looks so far like its going to be a hen.
On that first bantam hatch, I had the same problem as you. I had 7 other eggs with fully formed chicks, but unabsorbed yolks. They didn't pip at all. I don't know why they died. My only guess is maybe a bacterial thing and only one was strong enough to survive or there was a temperature spike during the night that I was never aware of that could have killed most of them. I hated cracking those eggs and seeing all those dead chicks too. It was so disappointing. I guess on the bright side though, I know have two beautiful Silkies chicks because my lone survivor was unhappy alone so I got him some friends to grow up with!
I couldn't find chicks in my area that were newly born. These Silkies are great though and friendly to the little baby! That little bantam is 7 weeks old now and not a whole lot bigger than when it was a week old! Has a huge personality though!