Anyone having bad hatches this year?

[Teresaann24]

My aunt had chicks hatch about 6-7 days ago out of 14 eggs she only got 2. They all grew to hatching and just never pip'd chicks were full grown they just died.

A close friend of mine has tried 2 hatches of 30 eggs both times they make it to hatch and just never pip and die. She isn't a new hatcher she has been raising hatching chicks for 20 some odd years.

Could it be the kentucky humidity?

I have eggs in the incubator and I am hoping I have a better hatch.

Anyone eles having this problem?

 

[ralphwaldo]

Here in the uk I have hatched my first eggs under a broody hen- from 11 eggs; 3 infertile- 1 egg crushed with a day to go, 7 hatched - 1 found dead under mum on day 3- eggs were hatched in a small 'sussex' ark with the nest box place ddirect on soil and misted with water 3 or 4 times. Is this beginners luck? Or normal rates. Not sure what the chicks are going to look like when they grow up though? Supposedly silkies.

 

[Teresaann24]

Yes silkies!

Looks like some black/blue and maybe a splash?

Last year I had very good luck with hatches. This will be my 1st go at it this year so I have my fingers crossed for a good hatch. I have already had to toss 6.

 

[Chic Chick]

Nice silkies!
I seem to be about 50% only with my silkie hatches too. 6/10 under hen and 1 died on day 1, in an earlier hatch 5/7 under hen and 2 died.
In the sportsman incubator my silkie hatches are also around 50% with almost 1/2 the chicks dying just before hatch date, while the others in the bator hatching at the same time are almost 100% - 14/16 marans with the 2 dying after pipping and I had to help another 3 out (thick shells?) and I put them under my silkie broody and saved them. 12/14 ameraucanas and all healthy with 2 that stopped for unknown reasons.
I wondered about the silkies and what the problem with the hatches is? Is it a gene or are they just more delicate then the other eggs? I also have 1 red silkie that I'm guessing doesn't get bred because I always have a % of the reds' eggs clear.
I'm pampering them and giving them extra scrambled eggs, greens etc to make sure they are healthy as can be.
For a while I thought I was the only one with bad luck this year....

 

[heritagebirds]

I would bet the humidity...I did the dry incubation for my first hatch (this year) and had the best hatch ever in a foam 'bator, I wish I would've known about it two years ago...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html

 

[jen5680]

For me I didn't no there was anything other than bad hatches!! LOL!!

 

[Teresaann24]

LOL,I have had good hatches and bad hatches...But so far around here from people I know are having horrible hatches. this will be my 1st time hatching from my show girl pen and I am overly excited about these eggs so I hope for atleast a decent hatch.

 

[gocrow77]

I'm having some crappy hatches on chickens, and pretty good hatches on ducks. I also have a goose egg that is rocking and rolling.......

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Two hatches of two chicks each...out of lots of eggs.

Last year it was 3 out of no-matter-how-many eggs I put in the incubator.

I just switched incubators so I'm hoping this will fix the issue.

 

[Teresaann24]

I am incubating in a styrophone incubator. I still have 14 days to go to see how much 1st hatch of the season goes.