20 eggs, 11 hatched... 9 died during lock down

[snaffle]

Hatching can get so frustrating.

20 eggs... 21 days was today. A few hatched yesterday and more hatched today.

There has been no more pipping for hours. I know I know...supposed to be patient.

I have made sure the humidity is up... usually keep it at 40 to 50 but have read how many of you keep it higher. This time I have been keeping it over 60... is that better?

Have had 11 hatch. One was breach and that was the only time I opened the incubator...removed the egg and quickly helped the little chick out.

Tonight I removed 2 eggs and the chicks inside are dead. Usually the membrane over the dead chicks is white, this time it is a softer color and not so dried out. Both eggs are like that. Looks better, but looking better is not better if the chicks are dead.

I will give the last eggs more time, but should remove some of the chicks in the morning. They are really complaining.

The eggs are in egg cartons so I know the hatched chicks are not rolling eggs around and damaging them.

Please share your thoughts. should I be happy with these numbers?

 

[fried green eggs]

If these were shipped eggs than 50+% is good. Humidity over 60 is better for hatching. I try to keep mine at 65%. Good Luck with the rest of your hatch.

 

[snaffle]

I had to edit the original post because I miscounted chicks last night. There were actually 11 live chicks in the hatcher last night not 10. No, another egg did not hatch over night.

I removed the last eggs this morning and checked them first in a bowl of warm water...no movement.

Next I opened the end of each egg. All remaining chicks were dead.

3 had pipped through the membrane and then died.

2 eggs had a white membrane that tells me it was too dry...right?

these were my own eggs... not shipped.

 

[snaffle]

I had 6 eggs in another hatcher.

4 of those eggs hatched and the other 2 had chicks that died during the lock down.

Again I kept the humidity up higher during that hatch... over 60%

 

[lazy gardener]

What was your humidity during the first 18 days? sounds like they drowned. How did your air cells look, going into lock down?

 

[snaffle]

@lazy gardener I try to keep the humidity during the first 18 days at 30 - 40%.

This hatch it was all over the place. Sometimes down to 17...then up over 40. I brought my incubators up out of the basement because it was too cold for them... however the humidity was more constant down there.

Humidity in the house is just over 30 right now.

I use sponges and am wondering if I am worrying too much about the humidity during the first 18 days. Maybe I should not worry when it is going below 20?

Can't be too sure about the air cell because they are marans eggs and the shell is so dark but from what I could tell...I thought they were ok