Eggs keep dying before pipping~please help newbie!

[kraftyladies]

I have never weighed mine. I have a Brinsea Eco 20 advance with a turner. I set mine, then I candle maybe on day 4 if I'm curious, but usually wait until day 7 or so. I might candle once more before lock down. I live in Florida so already have a higher humidity, but I do add water from time to time, but mine usually stays in the 30's low 40's, then I bump it up with a sponge for a little higher humidity at lock down. Maybe you are handling them a bit too much?

 

[rescuechick29]

Hey guys! I have to handle them as I have no turner but I try to make it fairly quick. This time I weighed them before incubating and then again yesterday when I candled for the first time but other than that....only for turning. I candle again on day 18 but that's it....I wish I had a turner....

 

[rungirl]

Regarding the turning... I think you can get away without one with the Brinsea if you just tilt it to a different side of the the octogon bottom two or three times a day. When it's on a turner, that's basically what it's doing, rocking from left right and center continuously. I've heard people say they turn once in the morning when they get up, once when they get home in the afternoon, and once right before bed which should work out close to every 8 hours. I'm not home that much so I definitely need to have a turner, but people with more normal schedules can probably get by without. The turning prevents the yolk from sticking to side of the shell membrane and is most important in the beginning. If your turning them about 3 times a day, especially in the beginning, then I doubt that's the problem.

Back to the humidity... Have you tried adding NO water until day 18? I reread your post and it sounds like you add water, let it run out, add some more.

Lisa

 

[Chick37]

You might be trying to hard with the humidity. I have only hatched eggs in an bater once. So, I don't have much experience with it. (I have very broody hens, so I prefer to go that way now.)
However, I did everything wrong, and still hatched 23 out of 24 eggs that I ordered from two different people over the internet.
I had temp spikes, and temp drops. I didn't even know that you should check the humidity. I used a LG and all it said was to fill the channels with water. I forgot to check the water a lot, and the channels ran dry most the time. I didn't even know about lock down and my eggs started to hatch in the egg turner.
I do live in Florida though, so maybe the humidity thing is not such a big deal here.

 

[rescuechick29]

My 2 eggs died AGAIN! I am ready to quit....once again, dead in shell before pipping. My girls are laying well but I'm not sure I even want to pursue incubating anymore. Wish I had a broody hen :/



As far as turning goes, I turn once in the a.m., once after work and once before bed. I don't think the turning is the issue either. I am considering trying a DRY dry hatch with no water at all until lockdown but I think my bator will be around 11-20% humidity so not sure....


Anyone ever heard of lethal genes? I JUST DON'T GET IT!! WHY don't they hatch?!

 

[teckkev]

My 1st time incubating, I lost ALL 24 eggs. The were all just about out when they all died. It is frustrating in the beginning, but that is part of learning. I still only get 75% hatch rate (still learning), but It doesn't stop me Keep doing what you are discussing here.. Experiment! Once you find the right formula, you are set. After my huge loss of 24 eggs, I started to do just 4-6 as test runs till I found the proper setup.

Don't give up hope,
Kevin

 

[yinepu]

I'm not too familiar with the sizzles and all that.. however there may be a lethal gene involved.. let me ask a few things first

did you do an eggtopsy this time around?.. if so what were your findings.. were the chicks very wet?

when is the last time you took the bator apart and gave it a complete disinfecting?.. not just cleaning it.. but removing the cover plate that covers the fan and cleaning that area as well as using something like Oxine to give the bator a good disinfecting?.. there very well could be bacteria lurking in there that is killing the chicks off just before hatch.. even though a bator looks clean it does need a complete cleaning and disinfecting between hatches even if they are failed hatches for the best results

once the bator has been disinfected.. is there any way you can get eggs from a neighbor or friend who has a rooster so we can rule out lethal genes?... if you can get some eggs from a friend.. add those to your next hatch and incubate through the whole incubation with 0 water added... only adding water once the chicks have started to pip

if only the friends eggs hatch then you know for certain it's lethal genes.. if eggs of yours also hatch then you know it was either bacteria or humidity or both that was the cause...

for turning.. I saw where you use gloves... are they disposable?.. if not you can turn eggs bare handed.. just be sure you have a good antibacterial soap and wash your hands before touching the eggs.. that will also help prevent any more bacterial growth in the bator
I know with the octo 20 (I have several of them) that you can turn the whole thing.. however when I hand turn eggs (when one of my auto turners died) I just turned individual eggs and still had a 100% hatch rate

if you have any Oxine also spritz the eggs before you set them to help kill off any bacteria on the eggs

 

[phoenix912]

How many eggs does your incubator hold? How many eggs are you doing each time? On my hatches I've had a few die between day 10 and 14. Maybe you should try putting more eggs in then what you have been. I don't think it's from you touching them. I hand turn mine. I also candle mine.

 

[cva34]

It sounds like you handle your eggs a fair amount. Now keep in mind I have only hatched one clutch of eggs, but I got 14 out of 24, so some success. After reading your post though the first thing that struck me is that it sounds like you are opening up the bator to weight eggs and maybe you shouldn't. I did practically nothing the first 18 days. On day 18 I upped the humidity and didn't open it unless necessary. I don't know who it is that always says this but......walk away from the incubator!

X-2 on handle lots....Like you I put them in and there not touched tell there moved to hatcher.Then not touched tell little ones are dry...I only open to add water and remove chic's.After reading most everything ;sounds like A Brinsea OCT is used and they still hand turn each egg.Most everyone I know turn Inc on right side then later to left.What Am I missing here.? I used to candle when I had white eggs but now dark eggs and I can't see.So I quit candling .If its fertile its fertile or not you can't change it now.If its dead you can't bring it back now ...You only have 5 variables .Fertile eggs/Temp control/Humidity control/Turning/Clean disease free environment, that's the way I try to think about it. If you got those under control YOU WILL HATCH EGGS....cva34

Candling can be and is a wonderful tool to the trained eye.And its contributed to where we are today with hatching ..Mine trained eye never got trained...

 

[yinepu]

X-2 on handle lots....Like you I put them in and there not touched tell there moved to hatcher.Then not touched tell little ones are dry...I only open to add water and remove chic's.After reading most everything ;sounds like A Brinsea OCT is used and they still hand turn each egg.Most everyone I know turn Inc on right side then later to left.What Am I missing here.? I used to candle when I had white eggs but now dark eggs and I can't see.So I quit candling .If its fertile its fertile or not you can't change it now.If its dead you can't bring it back now ...You only have 5 variables .Fertile eggs/Temp control/Humidity control/Turning/Clean disease free environment, that's the way I try to think about it. If you got those under control YOU WILL HATCH EGGS....cva34

Candling can be and is a wonderful tool to the trained eye.And its contributed to where we are today with hatching ..Mine trained eye never got trained...

actually.. there are more variables than that

nutrition of the parent stock.. if the hen especially is lacking in certain vitamins it can result in weak, deformed or even dead chicks

lethal genes.. I know in quail (and I am sure in many other birds/critters where there are assorted color combinations) there is a "white lethal" gene which can kill chicks just before hatch or not too long after.. lol.. in dachshunds there is a double dapple scenario where pups can be born without eyes, deaf, other deformities or be dead at birth.. so genetics can play a major role

bumping or jarring of eggs that have started to develop can also kill an embryo

contamination from air born vapors.. I know of several people who lost entire clutches of eggs which were pipped due to things like over heated teflon fumes too close to the bators, paint fumes and air fresheners

lack of air flow which results in carbon dioxide poisoning (vents need to be open at hatch.. and if there are large eggs like emu eggs or the bator is packed full of eggs it needs to be located in a place where there isn't "dead air")



i have the Brinsea octos too.. and I never turn the entire bator if I have to hand turn.. so long as your hands are clean and free from oils, bacteria etc (which is why I recommend washing them with antibacterial soap just to be on the safe side or using clean disposable gloves) it's safe to hand turn.. you just have to be careful not to drop or jar the eggs while turning.. people have been hand turning eggs for centuries and have had successful hatches

heck.. I have been handturning several batches of emu eggs and turkey eggs for the past few months and don't have issues with eggs dieing before hatch