chicks die near end of incubation

[emvickrey]

Mine never even pipped the air sack. The yolk on several where broken too. I am gong to look into getting a newer model bator. I realy don't think it is the thermometer. It is most likely me. Opening the bator too often. I have just 3 eggs in there now and i'm trying something different. I am tilting the bator instead of turning the egs manually.

I have an egg carton that I cut the top off of and the bottoms of the cups off then I sit the bottom inside the top and lean it to the side by wedging it on the middle of the top. It sticks out there to eep the eggs from getting crushed in the store. Then 3 times a day I would take off the lid and lift the bottom and just lean it the other way and check water, Then close it. I have a picture of what it looks like inside the bator. This is from the first hatch so there have been some changes.

First of all, The eggs are mostly lying on the spots and I would actually turn each one. I changed taht by using the lid and a way to hold the egs in a leaning position. The water tray is under the screen that is holding the eggs. I moved this. I took out the ring that held the screen up and laid the carton right on the floor and laid papertowels under it all. I also have 2 sponges in a different tray. The tray is actually the plastic tray that you would put under a plant. It is slightly rounder than the tray and has taller sides.. The thermometer/hydrometer is the old one. I bought a digital one at Walmart and immediately found that this old one was off by several degrees. I also plugged all the vent holes in the bottom and cover all but 1 in the liid.

With the lid closed I can see the guage thru the window.

I also gathered the eggs and put some in the bator each day for 3 days. I stopped at 14, 5 of those hatched. The second time I collected the eggs for 5 days and then put them in the bator. I stored them on my counter top. I have 3 in ther enow and I brought them from the coop directly to the bator. I put them in the carton yesterday after I took the non-hatchers out.

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv122/emvickrey/ebayitems011.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv122/emvickrey/ebayitems014.jpg

If you want to see my babies you can go here and see all my pics

http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv122/emvickrey/

 

[emvickrey]

Oh, I forgot to answer a question. Yes these are from my own flock. I wanted to get it down pat before I bought eggs. I will be getting 6 silkie, 12 blue, 6 green and 6 pink eggs. I want to get this pefected or close to it beofre I purchase these eggs. If I don't I will just buy the pullets.

 

[TriciaHowe]

One thing that I didn't see mentioned if your bator is a still air or forced. I am going to assume because it is an older one that it's a still air. If that's the case then your temp of 99.5 is too low. I would also get another thermometer and double check your temps. I know my digital thermometer is off by 1 whole degree. That can make a big difference in a hatch....
Good luck and I hope your next one is better. I would whole heartedly suggest a HB 1588. I open mine to hand turn as well and it goes back to temp in a matter of a minute....

 

[emvickrey]

Your right it is still air. Thanks for the suggestion on whay type to get. I will buy a new model before I will buy eggs and have a failing hatch. I'm one of those get your moneys worth kinda people. Just can't make myself spend money on somehting if it doesn't produce something of worth for me and my family.

Investing in a new bator would be a good investment as far as I an concerned.

 

[jmckenzie]

Have had same problem. 1st batch, none even pipped. Recent batch, 14 eggs, 11 had developed chicks @ about 15 days, 1st pip @ 19 days, got shell partway cracked, stopped progressing & then died. 2nd pipped, same thing... found an old forum w/ great suggestions - membrane was drying up. We put in sponges & warm wet washcloths. Then I had container of very warm water & a soaked w/cloth, held egg in hand close to these to keep temp & humidity up, & then I took tweezers to "pinch" shell from pipped areas almost all around egg, dabbed wet Q-tip (warm water) onto membrane (avoided beak area), eventually used tweezers to gently con't tearing membrane & let the chick work at it the rest of the way. Worked!! Cute fluffy chick! Next one did it on its own (better humidity w/ more washcloths?). Other 9 eggs no pips @ 21 days - not looking good. I will play "midwife" again if membrane looks to be drying up!

 

[ajablu]

I wish I knew the answer to this too. I have had the exact results as most of you and right down to the fully formed chicks that never make it. This is with the Hovabator 1588 with auto turners I bought. I had 2 LGs and had bought the extra Hova because the LG spiked after being good the first 18 days and I lost all the Ameraucanas in that bator and most of my daughters bantys.
My results/percentages with the Hovas sound just like Mahonri's. I also wonder what I am doing wrong to lose so many eggs and chicks in the hatches. I triple checked this time with different Thermometers and hygrometers and it looked as if I was doing well there. My daughter wonders about the auto turners because she has had better luck with her LG doing the hand turning.
I have a hatch of 42 in the hova now, and at day 18 just tossed 10 eggs. The rest look great so i will see what happens this time. I did use the turner again but am considering trying hand turning if only a few hatch.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Did I read this right, did your eggs start pipping at day 19? That's early, maybe your temps are a little too high. Day 21 is "hatch day", even though often, some will pip and not finish hatching until day 22. If temps are low, you get later hatches. With still air, you can get some of each, and everything in between, because of hot and cool spots in the 'bator.

Did you re-arrange eggs often during incubation, to even out development? When I used still air, and didn't have a turner, I took out the eggs in the center when I turned them, moved the outer eggs to the center, and put the eggs that I took from the center around the edges. That worked pretty well, they all got turns in warmer and cooler spots, just like they would under a hen.

 

[Heather J]

I know when I focused on 25-35 percent humidity in my HB my hatch rates went up because I had the same problem you are having. I admit, I didn't open them up to see if they actually pipped the air pocket or not.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do about my goose eggs that are developing about 4 weeks and then dying. Every week!

And I wish I knew what the person getting quail hatches was doing. I have 1 male to 3 females and my fertility rate was only about 70%, and less than half of them would hatch (usually 1/3 or less, actually). If I hatch 5 or 6 out of 20 I'm doing well. *sigh*

 

[Toast n Jelly]

You'll need to open the air vents as the chicks are hatching.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

You'll need to open the air vents as the chicks are hatching.