very sad non hatch

[speckiedoodle]

Hi Guys,
I just had a really sad attempt at a hatch. Really quick the details are -- hova-bator, with egg turner and fan. 15 millie fleur eggs (from my amazingly sweet two hens and one very cocky cock. Temp always at 99.5. Humidity ranged too far from one time below 40 to above 70. But anyway, at day 20 I got a pip. I waited overnight and found no progress so I very carefully helped it along. I found the membrane to be VERY tough. Chick came out great and is doing great. That same day I got another pip and eventually helped it out and found the membrane to be VERY tough. So I panicked (I heard lots of peeping). So I put the humidity way up (above 70). Well it's now day 26 and I faced the reality and just opened the eggs. Every single one had a mature dead baby in it (100% fertility and growth). I'm just sick sick sick. I wonder if anyone knows what may have happened. Obviously it went well until the end.... then something went horribly wrong. I had the incubator in my sunroom but I closed off the registers to help keep the temp even but we run the house at 74 degrees during the day and go all the way down to 66 degrees at night. The temp was ok but I think I had a humidity problem during the night with the air conditioner. I also just read on a thread that high humidity is bad for hatching eggs. But I have to wonder about the very very tough membrane. Oh, and when I helped them along -- the membrane had absolutely no bleeding and it was dry. This was my first try and I'm just crushed. The thought of those little chicks in there... I don't know if I will ever do it again. Oh, and I have six year old twin girls and they were upset also. On the good side the two little ones are doing great and thank goodness they have each other.
Thanks so much for letting me vent also to people who will understand

 

[ozark_chickies]

sorry to hear about your chicks.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

where do you live. I live in SW new mexico where it is really dry and I have it set for 55-60% humidity during incubation and then 70-75% humidity. If yo got the humidity to high at the end they can drown in their shell.

 

[speckiedoodle]

Hi, Thanks for replying. I live in Iowa so it is humid but we use an air conditioner so I'm not sure where the house humidity is. I have a combo temp and humidity gauge in there and that's how I know the humidity was crazy. The hova bator doesn't really have a good way to regulate the humidity. So what is the best humidity during growth and then at the end? Also thanks for the sympathy Ozark chickies -- chicks are people too

seriously, it is pretty darn sad.

 

[Urban Chaos]

I'm following this as I have similar questions. I'm using a Hovabator as well and have had a hard time keeping the humidity stable. I'm worried about the fluctuations.....

So sorry to hear that you lost yours, but you have your 2 twins for twins

 

[classicsredone]

I'm sorry that nothing hatched. I would definitely sanitize everything. Sanitize, then let it dry out in the warm sun to burn off any possible fumes if you're using a weak bleach solution.

 

[Jessiewoodard57]

I never have an issue with humidity and I live in florida I use a gensis 1588 and have had awsome results. One thing I have learned is never open the bator to help a chick you tend to lose the rest of the hatch to shrink wrapping ( your tough membrain) I know it is so hard to watch one quit and lose it but by not helping my hatches have been 39 out of 42 my last 2 hatches. I use a marinating needle to inject water into the tray so the bator is not opened till the hatch is over. I know it is soooo hard not to help.....You really do need to sit on your hands.

 

[Bantam Chase]

No advice, but so sorry to hear about your chicks.... that's gotta be rough. HUGS!

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

Also calibrate your hygrometer. There is a thread somewhere about it. Mine was off by tons(on the low side so I added tons more sponges and drowned everyone. I also look at incubation as a huge learning experience. I have learned something everytime. Don't give up...just learn from it. I ordered 36 eggs off of ebay and only got one to hatch. Her name is Miracle. It should have been "Oh My goodness! I can't believe one hatched" But that was just to long to say. Do alot of reading on here and see how you can improve. I learn something new everyday on here!! I am addicted to BYC and my incubator! below is the link about calibrating!

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/herpresources/ss/hygrometer.htm

 

[speckiedoodle]

Hi Guys,
This is a great forum -- I should have been on here before I tried -- I'm too old I still try to get my info from books

. The thing about the Hova bator is you have to open it to put water in. I'll have to figure out some way of modifying it to inject the water...hum... Also, the calibration -- duh! I never thought of that. So it does sound like it was too dry -- they were most certainly shrink wrapped -- that's a perfect and awful description of them. I've got to say I'm proud of my birds. Totally fertile and they are not young birds. One of the millie girls was horribly injured by a dog (it stripped all the skin off her neck(aka degloved it) and punctured her crop in two places) and I managed to doctor her back to health and here she is laying fertile eggs. She's my baby. So I want some grandkids from her

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