Another not so good hatch

[2wheelsdaily]

Geez, 42 eggs, 12 hatched. My second attempt at hatching eggs. The first time I only hatched 5 out of 25. This second time I calibrated my thermometer with 2 digital ones because the first time it was apparently too low because the 5 were late. This time the majority of them did hatch on day 21 so I think the temps were correct. I watched it as closely as I could and never found it very far off at all but I am gone all day so I don't know what it was doing durning the middle of the day. Both times eggs were from reliable breeders (expensive eggs) and this second time I picked up the eggs, they weren't shipped thru the mail.
I am using a Little Giant incubator from Tractor Supply and the thermostat in it is pretty lousy I think. I guess I'll just try building a incubator and use better components. I can't afford to keep buying expensive eggs and having such low hatches!

Bobby

 

[chicmom]

Don't feel bad, I've ordered eggs two times through the mail, and nothing hatched. Then I had about three hatches, with just a few chicks each.

My friend let me borrow her very nice R-Com incubator, which has the fan, auto turner, shows a digital display of the temp and humidity, and I've had great hatched from that.

It's such a gamble with shipping. I had 24 eggs one time, and only 3 hatched. Your best hatch was from the eggs you picked up, right? I suspect rough handling at the post office is to blame for some of your unhatched eggs.

 

[ragerkid2]

Sorry to hear, I'm hatching eggs for the first time from eggs I won. They from a very good looking breeder, so I hope I get a good hatch.

 

[AlienChick]

Don't be too hard on yourself.

You will very, very rarely get 100% hatch rate out of shipped eggs.

Most consider themselves lucky to get 30% hatch rate from shipped eggs.

Enjoy your chicks.

 

[Zootopia]

Does your LG have a fan? While the LGs have a fairly low grade on here there are some people who have good results with them. There is a hatching "Cheat Sheet" especially for them done by a guy who has great success. I'll post the link if I can find it. But if you look around, you'll find many references to it in these hatching threads.

 

[Zootopia]

Here is the link. Good luck. My advice would be to practice on some cheap, not so important eggs till you find what works for you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubation-cheat-sheet

Good Luck

 

[cva34]

Bobby
Sorry about bad hatches ...Not saying anyting bad ..Just I know lotsa people that spend more on eggs than Incubator...Go Figger It....cva34

 

[2wheelsdaily]

Thanks for the replies, my incubator does not have a fan but I read the fan really doesn't improve hatch rates.
Since I am not home usually during the day I think I"ll get a Brinsea incubator.
Bobby

 

[wvtim]

Little Giants without the fan kit are worthless - in my opinion.

You can add the fan kit for less than $30. My hatch rate drastically increased when I added the fan - its still not awesome but much better

 

[FLITZ]

maybe I just got lucky. My first hatch with a still air LG ... . 47 hatched 2 died
I set 60 eggs to start with. I think a few were infertile. 5 looked like they should have hatched but died at the end

I have 45 one week old chicks right now

I tried to follow the cheat sheet as much as possible and read over this forum a ton before my first try. I also set up my LG at least one week ahead of time. I think setting it up really helped a ton. It took me a while to get thermometers that were any where near correct. same with hygrometers. I just played with it for a week or so before I got my eggs.

I work long days but I checked the LG often when I was home.