What adustments would you make?

[TNBielefelder]

My incubator settings were set at 99.5 temp and 45 humidity at setting and then 65 humidity for hatch at day 18. On day 18 I candled them and my air sacs appeared to be small. The chicks never piped and never hatched. so at day 23 I cracked them open and they were all fully developed wet chicks inside. Any thoughts or suggestions for my next hatch?

 

[BertandMary]

We are new to this too and are on day 10. Thanks for scaring the beejesus out of us. Lol. With all we've read, 45% is quite high and that is what caused the eggs to not grow a larger air sack. Next time, try lower humidity. It is a pain keeping it where Sally Sunshine and most others recommended. We can't leave water in the channels or it goes into the 40s. Now we just dampen a paper towel and shape it into a loose ball. We put it in an empty egg holder on the turner and that has kept us around 30%. We do it nearly every day. Our egg sacks are right where there are supposed to be according to the diagrams we have seen on here. Hopefully we can update this with positive results in 11 days.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My incubator settings were set at 99.5 temp and 45 humidity at setting and then 65 humidity for hatch at day 18. On day 18 I candled them and my air sacs appeared to be small. The chicks never piped and never hatched. so at day 23 I cracked them open and they were all fully developed wet chicks inside. Any thoughts or suggestions for my next hatch?

I agree with BertandMary.

I run 30% for the first 17 days. If the bator stays above 25% I just run dry. If not, I add a wet sponge and it hold it right around the 30% that I like so much. But I monitor my air cells throughout the incubation, (I suggest days 7/14/18) to know when and how to adjust. I use this method: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity
I run 75% at hatch because I am in and out of my bator through it all. If you are hands off 65% is decent for hatch.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You are using a forced air incubator and have checked the thermometers as well, right?

 

[FarmerMac]

My incubator settings were set at 99.5 temp and 45 humidity at setting and then 65 humidity for hatch at day 18. On day 18 I candled them and my air sacs appeared to be small. The chicks never piped and never hatched. so at day 23 I cracked them open and they were all fully developed wet chicks inside. Any thoughts or suggestions for my next hatch?

My first time using an incubator had the same effect. The problem was the incubator's sensors (temp and Humidity) were wrong, the temperature was lower than what it read and the humidity was higher that what it read. So the chicks were slow to develop and the air sack did not change in size. When I opened the eggs to see what was inside, I found that if I may have waited a couple of days, maybe they would have hatched, they were fully developed. Now when I use that incubator, I put two thermometer/hygrometers to give me the ambient readings and had no problems hatching unless the eggs are duds.

 

[BertandMary]

...

My first time using an incubator had the same effect. The problem was the incubator's sensors (temp and Humidity) were wrong, the temperature was lower than what it read and the humidity was higher that what it read. So the chicks were slow to develop and the air sack did not change in size. When I opened the eggs to see what was inside, I found that if I may have waited a couple of days, maybe they would have hatched, they were fully developed. Now when I use that incubator, I put two thermometer/hygrometers to give me the ambient readings and had no problems hatching unless the eggs are duds.
[/quote we are using 3 thermometers and 2 hydrometers. We are attempting to keep the one at mid egg right around 99.5. It was calibrated so that gives us more confidence.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I use three therms and a hygrometer. I'm not as finicky about the hygrometer because I monitor my air cells, but I like to have it as a guide.

 

[FarmerMac]

In the past we never monitored the air cells, we just left the hens do their job hatching eggs. Now when I use the incubator, I make sure to mark the air sack to make sure it changes as time passes. by. I mark them when I put them in and then at day 7 and day 14 or 18. Here is my current batch of mixed eggs, chicken and turkeys, they should hatch around the same time next month

 

[AmyLynn2374]

In the past we never monitored the air cells, we just left the hens do their job hatching eggs. Now when I use the incubator, I make sure to mark the air sack to make sure it changes as time passes. by. I mark them when I put them in and then at day 7 and day 14 or 18. Here is my current batch of mixed eggs, chicken and turkeys, they should hatch around the same time next month

Cool! That's quite a batch of eggs. I don't mark them at set, but I do mark them day 7/14/18