Did I just dehydrate my babies?

[EurekaSouth]

On day 18 of incubating 24 eggs, 20 of which were pretty sure to hatch, I put a washcloth under them when I put them on the screen from the egg turner.
My (brand new) hygrometer said the humidity was fine, but the washcloths did get dry. My hygrometer has worked fine to get the babies at least to day 15 - I saw movement when I candled them then.
What have I done!!!!? It's day 22 now and no pips or peeps. I took the cloth out in hopes of saving them.

 

[speckledhen]

A washcloth will dry out because air is blowing over it, if you have a circ. air bator. A sponge would dry out much more slowly. What is your humidity reading now? What has it been?

 

[EurekaSouth]

Thanks Speckled Hen - after PMing with you, I think I'll be ok. I'll let you know the results!

 

[speckledhen]

Anything yet, Eureka?

 

[EurekaSouth]

Hi Speckled Hen -
I lost all 24 of my eggs. Nothing happened, so I broke into the air cell and then the rest of an egg, and it was only formed -mmmmm guessing 2 weeks. Another and another showed the same thing, until I did about 8 and got so disgusted and sad I tossed the rest.
I had done everything right - there was a little confusion during the middle of the incubation (my getting a second bator and 18 Welsumer eggs, and the bator not working and having to share with my first batch of eggs for a few days), but I got another bator on day 16 of my first batch, and was sure I was ok.
All the temps and the humidity seemed WNL, except for you saying the humidity was awfully high. I'll read up on humidity.
So now... my very first batch of chickies needs me more than the babies that I lost do - there's 9 of them, and they're 5 1/2 weeks old now - I've got the Welsumer eggs on day 10 now. The new 'bator I bought is a still air incubator, and I wouldn't have got it if I knew it was still air, but the man I bought it from said he had never had a problem with it.
Do you highly recommend circulated air over still air? Should I switch the eggs and use the still air for drying out for a while after they hatch?
Thank you for trying to help me save my babies!
Cheryl

 

[MissPrissy]

I am very sorry you lost your hatch, ES.

I use the hovabator 1588 as well as my homemade incubators. In my own opinion I find the 1588 to be the easiest and most reliable small incubator available. Everything is preset. Just plug it in, put in eggs and water and wait.

I hope you have much better luck with the next hatch.

 

[Poison Ivy]

My friend has a couple still airs and as great hatches from it. I bought one last week to use as a hatcher and I added a computer fan out of my homemade bator and it was holding temps great. Sorry about your batch of eggs I've had the same thing happen last year on some shipped eggs. But I tried again and had a great hatch. Just keep the humidity around 45% -50% days 1-18 and then up it to 65% -70% days 19-21. My friend keeps her bator at 101* since it's a still air.