Almost developed and not hatching?

[houndit]

O.K. I am having more problems besides my shipped eggs not hatching. Today I broke open about 15 of our turkey eggs. I had about 20 and 5 hatched. I left the others a couple of days even though I knew they would not hatch. When I broke them open today they were all but one nearly fully developed. They had perfect features for a little turkey poult. They had not yet absorbed the yolk but other than that looked like the ones that hatched. Does anyone know what could cause this? I feel good that they made it that far. But I want to know why they did not hatch if they were that close.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks.

 

[selinagil]

It could've been a lot of different things. A temp swing might've got them, sometimes you just never know. As for the shipped eggs they were probably handled pretty roughly by the post office. Sorry for your bad luck.

 

[walkswithdog]

Trouble that late is in the incubation not shipping.

Were you staggered hatching? Because if you were and you took out the chicks in that last week to put them in the brooder or hatcher you could have significantly altered the turkey's environment.

Loss in the last few days is almost always humidity and ventilation in one way or another. Too much or too little at the exact wrong time.

What are you using for incubating? Still or fan? What are you doing as they hatch? What are your hygrometer/s reading and did you check them for accuracy?

Shipping losses tend to be early. You don't mention whether there are damaged air cells, and those can actually affect the hatch humidity needed..

So, in general, more info needed.

 

[houndit]

I know it was not the shipping because these were my eggs. Yes I did have chicken eggs in there also. I had no idea it could affect the turkeys development if I took chicks out of there. I am using a still air incubator. The humidity has been a steady amount of around 50 % The last days I got it up to about 70% I have not checked them for accuracy as I just heard how to do it a couple days ago.

 

[LoveMyBirds]

Quote:
On my first batch, I had my humidity around 45-55 and the Turkeys and Chickens (same time) hatched better than having the humidity up around 70 on my 2nd and 3rd Incus during the last 3 days..

Although when a lot of them hatched in the 1st Inc. the humidity did spike to 70-80 but they were all almost in the hatched state.

Out of my 17 turkey eggs I got 15.. One was bad egg and one was infertile.. (I don't candle mine) Checked inside after hatch period is over.

Maybe I was just lucky on that round... I have the 3 filled again so I'll see how things go this time around..

Good luck..

 

[walkswithdog]

Staggered hatching isn't recommended because it drastically alters the environment of the incubator. That's why the "Read Me's on Hatching" all say don't.

Hatching eggs dramatically change the humidity levels, depending on the age of the other eggs (their stage of development) they can be drowned or over dried.

As you remove chicks you cool the bator and again drastically affect the interior atmosphere of the bator and some stages of development are far more sensitive than others.

Getting that hygrometer so you KNOW what the reading means by finding out how far it is OFF from reality - will help. Just as checking the accuracy of thermometers does.

The more constant the interior atmosphere the greater the chance for success.

Don't stagger unless you have a separate hatcher and unless you want to take significant risks with the hatch. Sometimes it's the only choice and then you take your chances.

Ventilation is also key and finding the recent thread discussion on humidity and ventilation may also prove useful.

You'll get it, and it will get better.

 

[houndit]

Thanks.