Diagnose my hatch results?

[woodprairie]

Hi, new member, new incubator (little giant styrofoam with fan). I have incubated a couple of other times. SO - start up the incubator, use the two five cent thermometers, follow the directions about water in one ring to start, both at the end. I had 12 araucauna eggs, 12 dominique eggs, and 12 buff orpington eggs. at 18 days, 7 of the buff eggs were clear and were disposed of when I removed the turner. (these were a friend's). at 19.5 days the first egg started to hatch, followed by 17 others. at 22 days, the last 3 buff chicks had zippered but were getting no-where after 18 hours trying, so I helped them and they lived. one was pretty sticky, but is ok. the bator was opened probably too often during hatch (I have a 6 year old), but I tried to keep it to a minimum. 8 of the araucauna eggs never pipped, so I took them to the barn at 22.5 days and opened them. they were dead, but fully formed though with a dime - nickle sized yolk outside. that would be about 18 days, which is when I removed the turner. those egg shells are so thick you cant see through them.

What did I do wrong? I have set another batch today, with 6 thermometers in it. I am going to go a degree cooler than the nickel thermomter supplied with the unit says, which I think was reading too cool and making me keep the bator too hot. 2 of the other digital thermometers say 99.5 or so, but the third says 100 while the nickel one says 98. thermometers 5 and 6 are too hard to read, don't even know why I stuck them in there.

tell me.

 

[woodprairie]

and now a banty hen has gone broody. a person ought not be allow to have this much fun

 

[TriciaHowe]

It actually sounds like your temp is running ok. If you had 3 running 99.5-100 that is ok for a forced air incubator. You should really get a good hygrometer because it sounds like this may be more of a humidity issue than a temp one. I know if I ran my trays full my humidity would be through the roof. I only add a couple of ounces of water during hatch if it gets below 50%. I don't want it above 60% even during days 18-21.(my personal preference-your milage may vary). I let it run about 45% before day 18. When they start hatching your humidity will naturally go up as the chicks hatch. This can cause your pipped chicks to get sticky and not hatch if your humidity was already to high to start with.
I hope this helps and you have a better hatch next time

 

[woodprairie]

wow, with all those kids and birds you do have a very understanding hubby.

I read the dry incubating article on this site, and am interested in trying it, so I have removed the 2 plugs from the top of the incubator. I did put water in one of the rings, but I can just let that run dry until day 18 (?) My room humidity is 39% (The 2 digital thermometers agreed on that. But I dont have one to stick inside.

But what do you think happened to all those nice araucauna crosses? Those were my eggs, the other breeds were ones I was hatching for friends. I have selected from my banty/ araucauna mixed flock a set of hens that lays well on lower protein feed and does well for me here on the farm with slop and milk and waste grain. I hatched them last year in a borrowed incubator. I will try a few more in this round, and tuck some under the broody hen, just to keep the line going. They are 3/4 size, lay some green, some brown eggs, tend to be white with small combs.