Disappointed :/

[dtsacbanty]

Started three weeks ago with 40 eggs; candled, kept half. Out of 20 eggs, only two hatched.

What went wrong?

Were the eggs not fertile?

Not sure what to expect the next cycle if this is how it is???

Thoughts please..

 

[Jessiewoodard57]

Where they your eggs? if so what is your hen to roo counts?

How old were the eggs.

What kind of bator are you using?

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I really need a lot more details to even take a guess, sorry.

 

[ScissorChick]

X2 ^^^

Welcome to BYC, dtsacbanty

Sorry you had such a bad hatch, but we need aloooot more details

-Scissor

 

[dtsacbanty]

Thanks you all. There were all eggs from chickens I owned. All the eggs were about 14-16 days old. I used a little giant incubator with a automatic turner.

Let me know if more details are needed.

 

[hokankai]

14-16 days? That's your problem. You don't want to use eggs over 10 days old, and with every day your hatch rate decreases. Next time try and gather them and set them within a week.

 

[ScissorChick]

Quote:
I agree with you mostly, but there is a BYC-er who hatched 3-4 week old porous eggs that had been

setting on the counter. So who knows, this may not be the problem.

Heres the Thread ~

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=447575

 

[dtsacbanty]

Quote:
That is what I am going to try this time around. Thanks ill keep u posted on my progress.

 

[CCourson05]

Also, I've found that these tips work best with an LG still air...

1. Get temp stable with no eggs for at least 12 hours. 24-48 is optimal.
2. Add no water for the first 18 days
3. Day 18 fill the two outer trays and put a paper towel in each.
4. Be sure egg is at the same level without turner as with turner
5. Use plugs to regulate temp if the room temp changes

Hope that helps. Also, I store my eggs for no longer than 7 days... I don't like going longer than that

 

[dtsacbanty]

Thanks as well. I'll try all of those tips this time around. Went today and cleaned out all of the nesting areas; looking forward to a good week then collecting again to set. As I tossed out the ones left in the bator from the last batch, I cracked a few and found three with developed chicks inside and also this white mucus like liquid as well. These three made no moments at all.

Also, I had two hens that were setting on their own, then Saturday into Yesterday, they stop sitting for two straight days. I figured the eggs may be bad, not sure. The eggs had these black dots on them. I took them out. From my pen with the serama hens, I cracked the eggs and found four with developed chicks, but no movement of any sort. I also found that white mucus inside.

From my hennie hen, I found developing embryos only. BOth of these hens sat around the same time, they both sat for approximately two full weeks.

Any ideas as to why they stop sitting? Did the eggs go bad? Were the black dots a sign? Could that hens have been that smart and recognized the eggs were bad and stopped sitting?

Thank you.