All late incubation deaths, why?

[mominoz]

I posted a bit on the April hatch along, but just went out and made a stronger candling light to try and set if the remaining 30+ eggs were bad.Day 29 I hatched 3 alive, 1 died half hatched, one after hatching and helping, one pipped and stopped. Smelling in incubator ,but not any more than others. Took out all I thought were bad from others after candling a looking at photos on net., like a halo at air cell line, etc.The Hookbill eggs were dehydrated to almost half in some. I left about 8 in as I am not sure. ONE had movement I could see. I took them outside to bury and opened them up. Almost all were in the late stage, fully formed, all feathers filling up the egg. Only a few had much yolk left.
They were unwashed, but sanded dirt off, turned 3x in early stages, but only got 2-3 near later weeks.Temp was 99 (too low for still air, I boo booed) and humidity was 45%+ or- .(should have been more I think now.) Didn't cool everyday as much as I did last year.
We did lose power a couple days ago and thermometer got down to 94 and then again 3 days ago(when the others started pipping) the plug came loose foe a couple hours showing a low of 92 or 93.
I also raised humidity several days ago at pips to 72-85% The 85% was when it came unplugged and temp dropped and humidity was up that high.Opend up an extra airhole when they started to pipp.
They

was so close arrghhh.... Looks like they died really close to pipping.
Also in beginning I used gloves to handle, later I forgot and i do wear handlotion...and I used a sharpie to mark them, before I read it was too late.....

 

[Oregon Blues]

What are you seeing that makes you think they are dead? My duck eggs just look like a solid black mass with a lopsided air cell when they get close to hatching. I've never seen any movement at any point in the process, and they still hatch.

 

[wordgirl]

I'm so sorry!

 

[mandelyn]

Oregon, the eggs were broken open when they failed to hatch, and were dead when opened up. It's sad when that happens! It's trial and error until you know your machine well. The issue with still air incubators is that there can be differences inside from one corner to another. I've been getting better results from having a fan, and also from moving the eggs around in the still air, like changing the spots so that no one egg is in the same spot during the whole incubation. They move at every turning. I use an auto turner in the incubator with the fan since the air moves.

Could be a number of causes. Here's a trouble shooting list..

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/trouble.html#LD

 

[mominoz]

Post update didn't post . Well anyway . We came home yesterday to another power outage.

It is now day 31, I listened to eggs, smelled them and candled them. Looks like one internal pip. So I opened them up, all dead , one internally pipped. So they died late. 3 power outages could have done it , Book says , Low humidity, low temp, and late temp drops could do it. I looked at wrong info for some reason and used fan based figures instead of still air...
So I have 15 staggered in other incubator, not sure the late 8 that were in other incubator last week will make it, but saw movement in at least one.Others , can't tell. The 7 I put in this week , only had one power outage...will candle in a candle days.
Will clean and sanitize incubator and try again, and will be try again. Later in season, but will up humidity a bit more, as Holderreads book says later in season, shells are more pourous....to up it. I guess it is amazing I have 3 live babies at all....such a waste, as almost no duds

 

[ducksinarow]

I have been wanting get some hookbills and try hatching but I have heard they are very hard to hatch without a broody. I have campbells but they are not going broody. Once you figure it out maybe I will try my luck but I am a bit leary now reading your post. I am sorry it was such a bad hatch.