Developed chicks not hatching

[GordonLane]

Hi All,
Hoping somebody here can shed some experience on an issue I'm having this year and last year. I'm hatching Wild mallard eggs from my own penned brood stock. Brood stock fed on a diet of Layers pellets and are at most only 2 years old( I swapped them out last year in case it was an contributing factor). The issue I'm having is very poor hatch rates across numerous incubators. I am loosing over 50% of late stage developed embryos. They are fully formed but not hatching. I am hatching in 3 different Brinsea 380 Forced air incubators and also Brinsea polyhatch still air incubators. I had same issue last year. I live in Ireland so our natural air humidity is probably over 40% most days so I run dry until I see some eggs starting to pip, where I increase Humidity at that stage. I struggle to get humidity down enough for egg sac to develop big enough. I have used 3 thermometers on middle shelf to try get a medium for correct temp and am running at a lower temp then the digital temp in the machines and ducks start to hatch on time. I am now running in a controlled environment room with a dehumidifier running. with daily air change. Incubators are cleaned and disinfected and sterilized after every hatch
Im at a total complete loss. I could understand an issue with one incubator but not across the board. Please help.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome from Louisiana, glad you joined.

These two troubleshooting links are the best I can do. It may be written more with chickens in mind but the basic issues should be the same for ducks. It's just details that might change.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting

http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation

Illinois Incubation troubleshooting

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res24-00.html

If it is across different incubators it has to be something you are doing. A poultry science professor said that if an egg doesn't start developing or stops developing in the first week it's usually caused by something that happened before incubation started. If they die in the last week it's usually because of something during incubation.

I've never used a cabinet type incubator. I don't think your cabinets are big enough to have these issues, but from what I've read the commercial operators that may have 60,000 eggs in one incubator or hatcher run into certain problems. They are forced air but they still need to make sure the eggs get plenty of fresh air, especially late in incubation. The embryo is breathing in oxygen and out CO2 through the porous shell. It sounds like you are aware of this.

Another bigger problem is that the developing chicks generate heat. The more they develop the more heat they generate. Their problem late in incubation and during hatch is not keeping the eggs warm enough, it's to keep the eggs in the middle from cooking from that heat buildup. I don't think you have enough eggs in your forced air incubator for this to be the problem but I'll mention it.

My main suggestion is to get professional help. Call or contact Brinsea and see what they have to say. It's their incubators and you are a good customer. They should have an interest in keeping you happy.

Another suggestion is to contact your agricultural ministry. I don't know how you are set up in Ireland but here they have people that deal with all kinds of issues, individuals and commercial operations. With that many incubators you are a small business. That's way too many ducks for your personal consumption.

Good luck and once again,

 

[BrinseaUS]

Hello! Are the ones that die pipping internally first?

 

[GordonLane]

Welcome from Louisiana, glad you joined.

These two troubleshooting links are the best I can do. It may be written more with chickens in mind but the basic issues should be the same for ducks. It's just details that might change.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting

http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation

Illinois Incubation troubleshooting

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res24-00.html

If it is across different incubators it has to be something you are doing. A poultry science professor said that if an egg doesn't start developing or stops developing in the first week it's usually caused by something that happened before incubation started. If they die in the last week it's usually because of something during incubation.

I've never used a cabinet type incubator. I don't think your cabinets are big enough to have these issues, but from what I've read the commercial operators that may have 60,000 eggs in one incubator or hatcher run into certain problems. They are forced air but they still need to make sure the eggs get plenty of fresh air, especially late in incubation. The embryo is breathing in oxygen and out CO2 through the porous shell. It sounds like you are aware of this.

Another bigger problem is that the developing chicks generate heat. The more they develop the more heat they generate. Their problem late in incubation and during hatch is not keeping the eggs warm enough, it's to keep the eggs in the middle from cooking from that heat buildup. I don't think you have enough eggs in your forced air incubator for this to be the problem but I'll mention it.

My main suggestion is to get professional help. Call or contact Brinsea and see what they have to say. It's their incubators and you are a good customer. They should have an interest in keeping you happy.

Another suggestion is to contact your agricultural ministry. I don't know how you are set up in Ireland but here they have people that deal with all kinds of issues, individuals and commercial operations. With that many incubators you are a small business. That's way too many ducks for your personal consumption.

Good luck and once again,

Thanks so much for your reply and please accept my apology for not responding sooner. I could see you sent a reply but couldn't see it until now, my error. some great information in both those links. Thanks again.

 

[GordonLane]

Hello! Are the ones that die pipping internally first?

hello, Thanks for taking the time to help with my query. Some are breaking into air sac but most aren't. Fully formed but no attempt to pip.