Chicks dying in eggs

[MoffatChicken]

Hi, I had 16 eggs in the incubator and 11 of them hatched but 5 of them failed to hatch and on day 25 when i opened the eggs the chicks were fully developed and looked fine. Can anyone help me with what happened?

My humidity was between 35-40% (70% last 2 days) heat was 99.5 (but might have been some cool spots in the incubator). I have another 24 in the incubator and im afraid i might have the same problem again

 

[PD-Riverman]

Are you a hands-on-hatcher or a hands-off-hatcher? Trying to figure out which help you need?

 

[wynn4578]

We're there any external pips on the eggs that didn't hatch?

 

[MoffatChicken]

Not sure what hand on/off means but if you mean do I get involved with they hatch then no. I don't candle until the end and I don't normally assist... i didn't this time for sure.

There were no external pips and it didn't look like there were any internal pips but its hard to say for sure when I cracked the eggs open

 

[wynn4578]

Is it possible that you may have lost power for a bit latch in the incubation cycle like around days 17 thru hatch. Also do you have more than one way to verify temps in your incubator. Brings me to another question what kind of incubator are you using.

 

[MoffatChicken]

I don't think so my incubator wouldn't reset right if it lost power. Its possible that some of the eggs were a few degrees (F) colder than others depending on where in the incubator they are. I have 2 good thermometers and one not so good one... that's how i can tell the far corner is a bit cooler.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Not sure what hand on/off means but if you mean do I get involved with they hatch then no. I don't candle until the end and I don't normally assist... i didn't this time for sure.

There were no external pips and it didn't look like there were any internal pips but its hard to say for sure when I cracked the eggs open

Hands on, would mean opening to remove or assist---opening the incubator before the hatch was over--like when your 11 hatched did you open the incubator when they dried and remove them or did you leave the incubator closed--giving the other unhatched eggs some more time---at least a day---before removing the hatched chicks?
Some open and remove at will---I can not do that here. I might could if I took up hands-on-hatching?? If I open my incubator here to remove hatched chicks---I might have another one or two hatch but seems I loose the rest---so I quit opening and wait till they all hatch or day 22(for chickens) and now I have High hatch rates. I am not saying this is what will happen to others---its what happens in my general area with a lot of hatchers that use to open before the hatch was over, now they don't and have alot better hatches.

 

[wynn4578]

I'm more hands on. I take the chicks as they dry. That being said humidity here usually runs in the 40s or 50s on a normal day outside the incubator. It doesn't hurt that my incubator has auto humidity and will correct its self pretty quickly if you open the door.

I can't guarantee it but no pips seems like it was likely a temp issue. If the incubator didn't loose power then I'd guess that there is like you said a cold or hot spot.

do you have circulated air. Is This a styro incubator or something else?

 

[MoffatChicken]

@PD-Riverman, I do open them up to remove chicks about every 12-24 hours but the humidity never drops below 60%. My hatch starts right at day 20.5 and goes to day 23 but maybe I shouldn't open as often or not at all. you have a good point.

@wynn4578, The air is circulated i have a homemade incubator but its built well (I'm a contractor and have an electronics diploma) wood with stryo lining, STC 1000 keeps temp between 99.2 and 100.1 and cycling light bulb as heat source. Only thing i might have done wrong when I built it is put 3 small vent holes across the top and 3 across the bottom which could draw cooler air in through the bottom cooling the eggs closest to the vent by a very slight bit?

The 12 eggs next to the light bulb all hatch day 21 but the other 12, further away, take day 22 or longer or not at all.... and the PIP to ZIP is much longer. Could it be that the slightly lower temp delays the development and these birds are just too weak? and/or don't develop with the correct timing and die?

Honestly how does a hen do this! with all the electrical/electronics at my disposal and i'm trying to match what a hen does naturally!

 

[WVduckchick]

lower temps definitely cause delays. You could rotate the eggs, alternate their positioning to the light. Level things out. It's the average that counts.

another consideration is the source of the eggs themselves, shipped or not, healthy parent birds, etc. Maybe it had nothing to do with anything you did, or didn't do.