Bad Hatches....

[danikiser]

Hello. So I have a Brinsea, its been reliable and successful. I've hatched a few silkies, some ducks and some geese without much drama.

In the meantime I have moved to a new farm and the humidity is really high here every day naturally. Like 60-70%.

The temp has stayed constant at 99.5 or so.

I haven't hatched in awhile, but I got some silkie eggs, and only two made it to the end. One died shrink wrapped in the egg, the other I managed to assist and rescue.

I hadn't been putting any water in the incubator as if I did, it would read over 80%.

I also tried to hatch some ducks during this same time, but they kept dying during the incubation process. I lost 10. Two made it to the end, but never hatched, I helped them out, but they were weak and sickly and never perked up. I gave them lots of nutridrench and yolk and reiki and love but they died. They were perfect otherwise, well developed and pretty.

I have been putting water in the incubator.

My own ducks have been laying so I have been putting their eggs in. Two were due to hatch this week, one died a few days ago, but the other pipped internally and was dead this morning. I had added water yesterday. I think it drowned in the egg, it had not absorbed its yolk and water came out its nostrils when I squeezed it a bit. I do not know how high the humidity was yesterday as the meter died, it needed a battery I didn't have.

Anyways, I have like 12 eggs in the incubator now. I am really wanting some to hatch, I'm feeling a bit sad and discouraged.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Does the humidity of the room affect the eggs?

 

[Pyxis]

Are you taking humidity readings inside the incubator? Is there where the humidity has been 60 to 70 percent? Because if so, that is too high for the first part of incubation, and that would be why most of the eggs are not making it. You might need to run a dehumidifier in the room the incubator is in to bring the humidity down.

 

[danikiser]

I was thinking that, but the hatch that I left it dry until the end, the chicks ended up shrink wrapped. So I'm just a bit confused.

 

[Pyxis]

When you say you left it dry until the end, do you mean until lockdown or until the hatch was over?

Those humidity readings are coming from inside the incubator, right? Not the ambient humidity of the room the incubator is in? Have you checked to make sure your hygrometer is accurate by calibrating it?

 

[feedman77]

Is the internal membrane white, clear, or brown on the wrapped chicks.

If humidity is too high use some rice in jars to help remove humidity for the air inside the incubator.

Make sure all vent holes are unplugged and open. So air exchange is is good

 

[danikiser]

Hi, I have the hygrometer inside the incubator. The chicks were white shrink wrapped. I used to have 2 hygrometers but one broke. So I haven't calibrated this one I have, I just read you can do so with salt and water in a bag, so I might try that. I do have one that measures the ambient humidity, and they seem to be pretty close.

 

[The Rural Entrepreneur]

Are you taking humidity readings inside the incubator? Is there where the humidity has been 60 to 70 percent? Because if so, that is too high for the first part of incubation, and that would be why most of the eggs are not making it. You might need to run a dehumidifier in the room the incubator is in to bring the humidity down.

I have been having terrible hatches and I have been running the humidity too high as well. I ran into a similar problem as the original poster had proposed. I also have been running my humidity too high. This may be why I am having terrible hatches.