not one egg made it everyone had died and none looked like they were really ready to hatch.I am revapping my program and will try 1more time.I will buy new thermometers/humidity gages,set the bator up someplace with a more stable temp.and start over.I have a hovabator with a fan do I need a better bator?
It can be so frustrating when you lose little ones. The Hovabator is a good incubator. Make sure you calibrate your hygrometer (it's easy to do--I just did mine--do a google for "calibrate hygrometer" and it will pop up with great directions), and try using two thermometers to be sure of the temp. Digital thermometers are often off by a few degrees, and will sometimes fluctuate wildly even when the temp isn't. Accurite is a good brand of digital thermometer, but I also keep an old-fashioned mercury thermometer in there, which is more reliable.
I know it's hard to wait, but when they are pipped, the most important thing to do is to LEAVE THEM ALONE. Sorry for the shouting.
I only did that because with my first hatch, I simply couldn't keep my hands off them--I wanted to listen to the cheeping and the tapping and feel them moving in my hands and no matter how hard I tried to sit on my hands, they kept opening that darn incubator and taking them out. Most of mine made it, but I did lose one that probably would have been fine if I'd left well enough alone. Also, I never thought 48 hours could take so long, but one of mine pipped more than 48 hours before hatching, and it was the longest 48+ hours EVER. But if you help them before they are ready, you do much more harm than good. One I did end up helping, because he had a large hole pipped but didn't make any progress beyond that for 36 hours, and was already 24 hours past when the last one had hatched. He did fine, but died at a week old--I don't know if it was related or not, but it is a matter of note.
Anyway, keep persevering. It's so sad to lose them after they've pipped. But with your new measures in place, hopefully you'll have better luck this time!
If it was exactly day 21 then you tried to help too soon. If they were pipping before that your temps might have been too high not too low. Too high of temps equal early pips, too low equal late. Opening the bator to check on them may kill those that haven't pipped yet so don't do it. Also pretty much everyone kills the first chick they help.
My guess would be your humidity needs to go up or you need to duct tape your bator shut so you don't keep opening it like that. I get the feeling the membrane is too tough for them to break and those that do are drying in the shell. Do not open from day 18 until day 22 minimum no matter what and see what happens.
everyone had died and none looked like they were really ready to hatch.I am revapping my program and will try 1more time.I will buy new thermometers/humidity gages,set the bator up someplace with a more stable temp.and start over.I have a hovabator with a fan do I need a better bator?
