Egg Hatching Problems!

[Wishapup]

I have a total of about 35 eggs in the incubator, with only 6 bantam. 29-30 were supposed to be Black Sex-Link x Silkie bantam. Unfortunately, we are having a lot of issues--for one, only the bantams are hatching. We candled a few eggs (unexperienced) at around the 12th day, and thought we saw a couple fertile but mostly infertile large eggs--the bantams looked fine. Our roosters are bantams, and we are beginning to think they are too small.

What's hatched:

21st day (Thurs): 3 bantams
22nd day (Fri): 1 bantam

A 4th bantam had zipped a good way around by 2:30 AM Friday, but sadly, I think it may have died. Before I went to bed, I thought it was surely going to hatch within 1/2 hour...you could see yellow feathers poking out through the crack. It looked ready to burst open. Now, it's almost 11 AM and the zip appears to have "sealed". A bit confused. Is there anything I should do to see if the chick's still alive?

By the 22nd morning, we have no confirmed standard egg pips or cheeping from the eggs. I'm planning to wait a few more days, but I don't expect much. I think the humidity is fine, as there is a bit of condensation on the windows and the other chicks hatched successfully (one took an 8 hour break with the membrane exposed and still hatched).

Any suggestions appreciated!

 

[HEChicken]

Before you set the eggs, did you check for fertility in the LF eggs? (I.e., looking for the bullseye on the yolk of an egg you have cracked open to eat.) It is quite possible that the silkie cock bird is not able to adequately cover the larger hens to achieve fertility. By day 12 when you are candling, the clear eggs should be obvious as clear, while those that are developing will be much darker.

If you have no obvious pips right now, it is safe to open the incubator briefly. What I would do, is turn off all lights, close doors, shade windows - whatever you need to do to make it completely dark in the room. (Alternately, move the incubator into an internal room that has no windows). With your flashlight, one by one look at the eggs to determine if they are clear. At this stage of the game, you will easily be able to tell the ones that have no hope of hatching.

This is a really good thread on candling so you can tell what you are looking at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

 

[Wishapup]

Thank you so much! Yes, I'm thinking the rooster's size could be a problem. We did not check for fertility before setting, unfortunately.

In the last three hours, one large egg pipped and the chick just now hatched!! It looks large and healthy, but has not yet absorbed all of the yolk. Maybe that's part of the cause for delay. I hope more end up pipping. If I have time, I will do the candling procedure you recommended. At 12 days, most of them looked dark, I think, and only 1-2 were completely clear.

Maybe they're just all late...

Appreciate your advice

 

[HEChicken]

Oh, well that is good to hear that one has hatched. Hatching so late and with an unabsorbed yolk probably means that the temperature is too low. Is it a circulated air or still air? For circulated you want 99.5 but for still air, 101 is optimum. If your thermometer already says it is the correct temperature, it is likely reading a little off, and I would increase the temperature slightly the next time you incubate.

 

[Wishapup]

It's circulated, and we kept it at approximately 100. We made sure the thermometer was calibrated before we used it because we thought it may have been running a little hot.

Day 24 -- only one of our standards hatched, then most of our bantams. One bantam died in the shell. 15% hatch rate--since 5 have already hatched and there's no cheeping/breathing/vibrating/pipping, I'm thinking it's over. Try again next time with a better rooster...our incubator has worked well for us so far, and we've had some very good hatch rates, so I believe it's a fertility problem. The ones that DID hatch are extremely strong and healthy.

Planning to candle the remaining eggs tonight.