Advice on What Went Wrong--Hatching Experts, I Need You!!!

[what did I do]

Did you take the vent plugs out?

Was there a chance the eggs froze a little?

I find that older eggs don't hatch as well as fresh eggs. I had the same problem with older eggs that weren't quite egg-shaped.

 

[my sunwolf]

Did you take the vent plugs out?

Was there a chance the eggs froze a little?

I find that older eggs don't hatch as well as fresh eggs. I had the same problem with older eggs that weren't quite egg-shaped.

Vent plug was out but was flipped upside down and covered the hole partially when I needed humidity to be higher. Vent hole was never completely covered but sometimes was uncovered if I thought humidity was a little high.

There is a chance that the eggs froze a little in the nest boxes before he collected them, I really had no control over them before I picked them up in cartons.

They were definitely all perfectly egg shaped, not too pointed or skinny or pinched in the middle. The age of the eggs was a little of a concern, but I've heard some people say they had great hatches with 7-10 day old eggs.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thanks bill, very informative, I am looking for more detail on actuall effects on embryo I found several clinical studies and tried reading them but even the summaries were not in laymans terms.

 

[Loghousemom]

DETAI;LS??? Suire:
Scratch Grains normally have an 8% protein level. Layer Feeds normally are 16% (Some are now 18 or20, but it works the same). When you feed scratch grains, which the chickens will eat better because they like it better (it's like candy to them) they are getting to low a protein level of feed for proper nutrition. Scratch Grains are high in fat content, low in calcium. The results are fat chickens (lower egg (production} & soft shelled eggs ( low a calcium level). In birds used for breeding the nutrition level is decreased in the eggs they lay. The results are eggs without enough nutrition to get a chick through to hatch. Remember that the chicks also need to absorb the yoke which will also keep them alive for 3 days.
Layer birds can get by just fine on layer feed alone. Breeder birds should have a higher protein level, at least 18, but 20 is better.
Chickens will gobble up the scratch & ignore the layer. Assuming that they will consume 1/2 scratch 1/2 layer the protein level ends up being 16%(layer)+8% (scratch) =24 divided by 2 or a total protein level of 12%
If a chicken eats twice as much scratch as layer you end up with 2/3 +1/3 or 8%+8%+16% or 32total divided by 3, a total protein level of 10.6%
It works the other way too. Mix 1/2 16% layer with 1/2 22% pheasant feed & you get 16% + 22% or a total of 38 divided by 2, a protein level of 19%
I've tried to keep this simple, because it can get rather complex. There are other type of feeds that can be added to chicken feeds to increase protein levels but things like salt content & micro-nutrients come into play & all have to be considered when mixing in something like Dog, Cat or Rabbit feeds, so I don't recommend anyone try it.
BTW: Higher protein level feeds also help during molt. Feathers are pure protein & birds will recover from a molt faster & with better feathers if fed a higher protein level at that thime

This is wonderful information! I was wondering how to get a higher protein for my birds. the only thing i have found at the stores here is 16%. I never thought about pheasant feed. I wonder if the feed stores here carry that....

 

[Bill 101]

One thing I should have mentioned is that the feed protein post is directed mainly at birds that are cooped up. Free range birds are able to pick up bugs, worms, grass & a number of things that help them maintain adequate nutrient levels. Free ranging is probably the best you can do for your birds, but I still wouldn't feed excessive amounts of scratch. The only time feeding it might help is in the winter & then cracked corn is all that is necessary. The Corn or scratch helps them maintain body heat

 

[Loghousemom]

Living here in ND where we are snow covered and cold a good portion of the year, I have been feeding a scoop of scratch daily when it is below freezing to help them keep their temps up. I also add a couple handfuls of BOSS. They get layer feed, grit (shoveled into buckets from the road in fall and dumped in coop as needed) I added oyster shell too since I was getting soft shelled eggs on occasion, but I wonder if that was from the lower proteins with it being winter.

 

[Bill 101]

Your are the second person that has mentioned BOSS. I don't know what that is, so It's hard to evaluate your feed program. If when you added the Oyster Shell your birds stopped producing soft shelled eggs, then they were indeed lacking enough calcium.
I've Raised, Bred & Hatched Show Birds for at lest 30 years. Because I showed birds in regional poultry shows that had anywhere from 500 to 2500 birds I was always looking for that "magical" ingredient that would give my birds an edge against the competition, I have tried about every product, feed or additive that I could find. In all honesty I never found anything that I could definitely say made a significant difference . Just plain old 20% chicken feed, Fresh clean water & dry, clean housing seem to work just fine.

 

[Loghousemom]

Bill 101, The Boss is black oiled sunflower seeds... At least that is how I have seen it referred too here on these boards. I have also read that the reason my welsummer doesn't lay often is because she is a bird that needs high protein, but like I said, I haven't been able to find feed above 16%. So I am expirimenting. I think I would eventually like to choose one breed to work with, but as of right now I've got a mixed up farm flock. Thank you so very much for your advice! I am going to have to make some calls and see if anyone carries the pheasant food. We have wild pheasant around these parts, and I am sure someone someplace feeds them......

 

[Bill 101]

Black Sunflower seeds I have used before, just never had them called BOSS.
I don't know if you have a Purina dealer in your area, Purina makes Pheasant feeds. I know there is a starter, really high in protein 26% (I think), a Breeder feed 24% & another I think called Maintenance at 22%. I think Neutrina makes something like it but I'm not sure what the protein levels are

 

[Reurra]

My girls are on 16% Purina feed. They get 1 cup of Purina brand scratch every morning. They have been going through the two 1 gallon feeders every 3-4 days. There are 7 birds, one is a roo.

I jsut started my incubator, do you think i will have any issues? There are 12 eggs in there.