Alright everyone, 2nd hatch going worse than 1st...

[KeeperOfChicken]

Got 14 eggs to day 18 with no problem. Temp stayed constant. Humidity was 45-50% in my little giant.

First hatch I did I had humidity at 60% but was told to lower it. First hatch 9 hatched. 80% humidity in lockdown.

So this time I entered lockdown with moving chicks. Humidity has been 68%-70%. I saw rocking for a day now but no pips...they were due yesterday. The first hatch went much much better then this even with multiple true newbie Ut-ohs.

What did I do wrong?

Thanks in advance

 

[KeeperOfChicken]

Anyone have any help, it is greatly appreciated?

Thanks!

 

[gwendalynn28]

There is no telling what may have went wrong. I keep my humidity between 40-50% percent for the first 18 days then between 75-80% for lockdown. I've had eggs that made it all the way up to day 21, pip, and then die with no known cause. I picked the shell open to look to see what possibly may have went wrong and couldn't find anything. Sometimes chicks are just weak and give up too early or simply aren't strong enough for the task of hatching out. Are the eggs from your own birds or from someone else's? Shipped eggs have a much lower hatch rate as well plus you don't know how healthy the parents were. Parents that are in poor health and/or have nutritional deficiencies will produce less thrifty offspring. I have noticed that eggs from my birds are much stronger and healthier and shipped eggs or eggs from unknown sources don't hatch as well. Good luck!

 

[mgroza]

I don't what you might have done , but I have found that eggs that are set right away after laying seem to do better for me. I now put eggs in as soon as i get them and let them turn until piped.Once they pip, i put them in the brooder with 70% humidity and they do just fine.

 

[gwendalynn28]

mgroza,
I put eggs on lockdown on day 19 before and they pipped just a few hours later! I wondered if I'd messed up by not putting them in lockdown sooner but I guess it was just fine because 10 of 13 eggs hatched! I have found the fresher the egg the better the hatch too. I'm so thankful that I have my own fertilized eggs here at the house now. All of my hens were just babies last summer so I bought shipped eggs from ebay and had a little success with those eggs. Most of the hatches were disappointing though, not to mention expensive!