Day 22 and no Hatching

[glow12]

Hello BYC. This is around my 6th time trying to hatch some chicks and I haven't had a single chick hatch from any batch. The incubator I am using is one I bought earlier the year (around late Febuary-early March) and have tried hatching a group, but no eggs hatched. I'm trying again to make sure the incubator works and have 5 eggs in there. I last candled on day 18 and all chicks looked like they were progressing well and I took out the turner. I have tried not to open the icubator since. The humidity has been above 60 (normally around 65) and I can hardly ever get it over. It's now day 22, borderline 23, and I haven't even seen a pip in the eggs. Any tips besides being patience?

 

[Pyxis]

What was the temperature, and is the incubator still air or forced air? Did you make sure to double check the temp was correct with a calibrated thermometer?

What was your humidity for the first 18 days? Did the air cells seem to grow at an appropriate rate?

 

[glow12]

What was the temperature, and is the incubator still air or forced air? Did you make sure to double check the temp was correct with a calibrated thermometer?

What was your humidity for the first 18 days? Did the air cells seem to grow at an appropriate rate?

The temp is 37.5 C and the incubator is forced air. I checked the temp and it was correct, but that was before my last use. Before raising the humidity after day 18 it was around 50%. I haven't marked the air cells, but whenever I candled they looked to be getting larger.

 

[Pyxis]

The temp is 37.5 C and the incubator is forced air. I checked the temp and it was correct, but that was before my last use. Before raising the humidity after day 18 it was around 50%. I haven't marked the air cells, but whenever I candled they looked to be getting larger.

Did they appear to be growing according to this chart?

 

[glow12]

They were near that size, but more centered on the bottom.

 

[Pyxis]

When you did the last couple batches, did you do everything the same as this time? And did you crack open the eggs that didn't hatch to try to see what went wrong?

Sorry to play 20 questions, just trying to help find out what's going on so you can be successful hatching I'm thinking at this point that it's a humidity issue.

 

[glow12]

It's fine to ask questions. Last batch alot of them died from bacteria and some of them just stopped growing. Before this batch I cleaned the icubator with watered down bleach. Besides that I have done almost everything the same.

 

[Kiki]

X2 on the humidity issue.
I believe that 50% is too high.

I believe that closer to 35% would be better.

 

[Kiki]

It's fine to ask questions. Last batch alot of them died from bacteria and some of them just stopped growing. Before this batch I cleaned the icubator with watered down bleach. Besides that I have done almost everything the same.

Where do the eggs come from that you are trying to hatch?
If your own flock you might want to look into using a "breeder type feed" for your flocks diet for a few weeks before you collect eggs.

 

[glow12]

X2 on the humidity issue.
I believe that 50% is too high.

I believe that closer to 35% would be better.

Is it? I've been told that for the first 18 days you want around 40-45 and on that last few you want 70-75.