Eggs appear to be dying between days 16-21?

[FiestyFeathersFarm]

Ive had more luck with the temp being able to flex a bit in personal experince, that could be just because i generally do not flex any of the temp or humidity though. both of them are very important and should be researched beforehand however.

Agree to disagree on temperature fluctuation being more acceptable then humidity for chicken eggs. When I set my eggs the I never adjust my temperature setting after it has come up to temp and measured by my secondary thermometer. Also if temp needs to be adjusted that tells me the room the incubator is in is not even, due to outside environmental factors. Eggs should reach about 13% average weight loss before hatching so in order for that, humidity needs to be adjusted accordingly (also each egg loses weight at a different rate). If this were peafowl eggs that’d be another story. Thanks for your opinion, but I would like to know what temp the OP has set the eggs at, brand of incubator and if they used a secondary thermometer and hygrometer. Those are the most basic questions in trying to solve a failed hatch.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Agree to disagree on temperature fluctuation being more acceptable then humidity for chicken eggs. When I set my eggs the I never adjust my temperature setting after it has come up to temp and measured by my secondary thermometer. Also if temp needs to be adjusted that tells me the room the incubator is in is not even, due to outside environmental factors. Eggs should reach about 13% average weight loss before hatching so in order for that, humidity needs to be adjusted accordingly (also each egg loses weight at a different rate). If this were peafowl eggs that’d be another story. Thanks for your opinion, but I would like to know what temp the OP has set the eggs at, brand of incubator and if they used a secondary thermometer and hygrometer. Those are the most basic questions in trying to solve a failed hatch.

I had said that could just be because i generally do not flex tempatures and humidity in general so if you say the humidity flexes more, thats probably because youve had more experience with that. And thats perfectly fine because thats what i had answered in my second post which wasnt a opinion. I had just said i have had tempature being okay with flexing, but i rarely ever have the temp/humidity lower or higher again so your probably right.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Not an expert, just doing some thinking... Do you clean your incubator between uses and if so, what do you use?
Also agree that you need to verify your temperature and humidity readings with something that has been calibrated.

 

[FiestyFeathersFarm]

I had said that could just be because i generally do not flex tempatures and humidity in general so if you say the humidity flexes more, thats probably because youve had more experience with that. And thats perfectly fine because thats what i had answered in my second post which wasnt a opinion. I had just said i have had tempature being okay with flexing, but i rarely ever have the temp/humidity lower or higher again so your probably right.

This is what you replied when i asked the op a question.

In your opinion temperature can fluctuate more than humidity which is incorrect

 

[Chicken poppy]

This is what you replied when i asked the op a question.
View attachment 2891179
In your opinion temperature can fluctuate more than humidity which is incorrect

That wasnt what i had said in my quote though i dont think? i said my second post, my second one said im not a expert and that your probably right. That one is a opinion, your right, i didnt say about that though. (Also, sorry for this thread Maker, Im not trying to stir anything up)

 

[NatJ]

What am I doing wrong, how can I solve this?

Did you candle the eggs during incubation?

If so, did you check the size of the air cells?

If the air cells were very much the wrong size, then you have a humidity problem, no matter what any kind of other measuring device says.
(Air cell too big, need higher humidity. Air cell too small, need lower humidity.)

Do you clean your incubator between uses and if so, what do you use?
Also agree that you need to verify your temperature

I was going to say this too

 

[McChooky]

Hi, bear with me while I explain!

1st hatching ever, 7/12 eggs viable all hatched. I followed the booklet that came with the incubator 45%humidity I think? until day 18 then pump it to 50-60%


2nd hatch - eggs from a different friend whos hens go broody so she's never hatched in a hatcher but has a lot of chicks nevertheless.
10/12 viable only 2 hatched day 21 the other 8 dead after day 27. Some of these had internally pipped but got no further.
Again used the same humidity and temp as first hatch (can't be accurate on this because it was over a year ago!)


3rd hatch - same eggs as 2nd 9/13 eggs viable and alive by day 16ish, set at day 18. All dead by day 26. No internal pipping.
Attempted a dry hatch, kept humidity at 30ish until day 18 then bumped it to 50.


4th hatch - different set of eggs from 1st and 2nd. These from my own hens. 2/6 viable. Alive at day 16. Dead at day 23. Humidity at 30 for the first 18 days


5th hatch - same eggs as 4th hatch, but this time hens were much older, 8/13 alive and moving by day 16.
Day 18 I saw no movement but thought you know, kinda full in there, airsack looked fine and the right size. 2 of the 8 I was unsure if they stopped growing before hand but kept in just in case.

Day 21/22 currently, thought I'd crack one open because my gut said it was a lost cause. It was one I wasn't sure of, turned out it had a lot of fluid in it and hadn't fully developed to fill the egg but veins still looked very red. It was completely dead however. The other eggs when candled, looked and felt a lot less fluid filled day 18.
Still have 7 in the incubator. No pips. no movement. Not a thing.
Kept the humidity at 30% the whole time (which is the lowest my incubator allows before it beeps non stop until it's at the right level) then set the eggs and had the humidity at 40-45%.
I have a feeling they have all died. Again.
What am I doing wrong, how can I solve this? I need to get productive with this or else this whole smallstead will just fail - chicken being the only thing my family eats

Use a 2nd thermometer and humidity device to verify your incubator is working properly. It will help to identify cool and hot spots in your incubator too. After you've determined its working properly let it run a couple days after cleaning good with peroxide before adding eggs.Be careful what kind of eggs you use and how you set them in the tray. If your chicks were "sticky" in the 1st hatch its a sign your humidity was too high. Here is a link that should help ! https://www.poultry.msstate.edu/pdf/extension/incubation.pdf

 

[ChickNanny13]

It's been recommended to keep the humidity lower (45%) during the first 17days, raising (70%)it at lockdown until hatch. As they hatch in the an dry off in the incubator, temp and humidity will fluctuate but that's expected as the chick are drying off in there. Temp. should be 100 - 102. Don't depend to the thermometer that's with the incubator, best to have a second AND they. should be calibrated prior to the start of incubation. Also the location and ambient temp will affect the incubator/

https://redrockfarmstead.com/air-cells-humidity-tips-for-incubating-eggs/
High humidity = small air cell.
Low humidity = big air cell.
If your humidity is too high the porous egg will reflect that. There will be too much moisture and the air cell will be small. If your humidity is too low the air cell will get too big.

 

[Jessicahennager]

Ive had more luck with the temp being able to flex a bit in personal experince, that could be just because i generally do not flex any of the temp or humidity though. both of them are very important and should be researched beforehand however.

I agree. And before hatch it should increase not decrease. All knowing google says 50-55 then 60-65. I think that’s the problem here.

 

[Jessicahennager]

This is purely speculation but I think not only is the humidity too low already, people are also checking the eggs and letting in additional dry air, shrink wrapping the chicks into hard shells. If the humidity is changed and the incubator remains closed during lockdown it should solve the problem. If it doesn’t crack a shell open, it’s gross but you’ll learn a lot from what you find.