Babies not making through lockdown

[croach510]

I have only done 2 hatchs and both times the babies died during lockdown. They had drawndown, where turned properly in the egg to pip and had absorbed most of the egg sac. They did not internally pip. I was not sure of the exact hatch date because my brody would sit on the nest for a few days then get off and it get on another nest. So when I saw this I took the eggs from the abandoned nest and put them in the bator. I candeled just before I put them in lockdown guessing at the hatch date. The egg was completly dark and full with a nice air sac and there was movement. Is the humidity a really big deal those last 3 days because I did open the bator twice a day to turn the other eggs. Humidity would drop down to 50/55 and go back up to 65% with in 30 min. Could this have been my problem. I currently have 3 eggs in the bator that im going to put on lockdown on the 29th and dont want to lose them. Please any help I will take.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

So sorry about your eggs. I had mine die during lockdown too. I've only done three hatches. The first, only one hatched (there were four eggs). Someone shook the incubator during lockdown and they all ended up upside down. This time, My thermometer stopped working, so I started using a thermometer that you point at the eggs to measure the temperature. When lockdown came, I realized that I couldn't open the incubator to check the temperature. I started checking it through a ventilation hole. Yesterday was supposed to be hatch day, and I had not even heard a peep. I looked at the temperature and it said 104. I took the egg out to measure the temperature, and it said 120. They (of course) were all dead.

 

[croach510]

I an so sorry to hear that, you wait patiently for that day and then to be let down. I had movement in the eggs on hatch day nothing happened so i gave it one more day and did the water test and no movement so I opened them. You could tell they had not been dead long and where all postioned to go. Only thing I can come up with is the humidity. I had another hatch going that was 9 days behind so I opened the bator to turn them.

 

[croach510]

Does anyone no if the humidity going up and down during lock down would cause the chicks to die. How do I tell if they where shrink wrapped? None had internally pipped, but where in the right position. Also I found out after I had set the eggs that where I had put my bater when someone walked by it would shake and the eggs would move some. Could that cause the chicks to get confused on where to internally pip?

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't know if it would "confuse" them or not, or if it would get them out of position or not. From everything I've ever read, the humidity is a big thing. I hope your next ones will hatch for you.