Chicks not hatching

[roycattle]

I have been trying to hatch eggs for the last 3 weeks. There has been a total of 24. 2 live chicks. They are set every sat and then moved to hatcher on day 18. They dont pip and on day 25 I carefully break the shell and 18 of the eggs have had chicks that look fully formed. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????? They incubated in a hovabator still air with a turner. The hatcher is a homemade from small fridge it holds the temp between 99 and 100, humidity 60% Trying to hatch old english gamebirds

 

[llaaadyel]

Are the eggs in an automatic turner? If not, how often are you turning them. Your thermometer may be off, your hydrometer could also be off. They often are. Your humidity during incubation is fine, but you need to raise the humidity to around 75% 80% during lockdown. You should not be turning the eggs during lockdown which should start at day 18. Eggs should pip and hatch between days 21 and 25 usually. I would wait until day 30 before opening them. If your temps are off, the chicks will be slower to incubate and later to hatch.

 

[jvls1942]

do you have any venting holes in the hatcher?

60% is fine for hatching chickens, guineas and turkeys. try to hold the hum% to between 35% and 40% during incubation.. temp is 99.5F , still air or fan.. 99 to 100 is ok...

 

[ThaJuicyJuice]

60%, in my experience complicates hatching. Doesn't mean that it won't work though. Research some on the dry hatch method, maybe will convince you to lower it a bit.

 

[jvls1942]

I would never recommend for a new person to try dry incubation or any other unorthodox method until they have the basics mastered..
stick to the 99.5F (still air or fan) 35% to 40% humidity during incubation and then 60% humidity at lockdown..

learn how to control your incubator first, then you never have to go to the unorthodox methods..

I have been hatching for over 40 years.. I think I know what I am talking about.. I will stand toe to toe on my expertise..

I have (3) sportsmans and (2) 2000-egg jamesway incubators..

 

[Mon*Fish]

Hang in there.

I am on my second go round. My first hatch I had 2 pip and never continued the rest were fully formed just never did a darn thing. That was in my homemade incubator. So this round I am hatching in a still air. I tried to dry method and followed it to the tee, nothing other than 2 pips with 20 viable eggs at lockdown. Yay, I am completely bummed and sad that I could not hatch anything. So this time I am keeping humidity at 40% and 100 degrees for a still air. We will see what the outcome is in roughly 3 weeks.

Sending successful incubation vibes your way!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

My first hatch was rather horrid too. I'm convinced the air sacs were not large enough due to running higher humidity in first 18 days. My belief is they didn't have enough space and drowned after internally piping. Had 8 fully formed chicks yet only one hatched. Tweaking the temp up a bit too as it hatched day 23.

Good luck this time around.
I'll be crossing my fingers the next batch here too.