Failed hatch after failed hatch? what am i doing wrong?

[Abonzo]

So i brought a brinsea incubator. put 10 eggs in it and hatched 10 - this was the first time i used it.

I gave it a clean put 24 eggs in Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine and they all failed, i had left the auto rotator on untill day 19 so assumed this was the reason for my failed attempt

Put another 24 eggs in Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine, only two 2 hatched and at day 24 very weak and both didnt make it past a few days.

Hen went broody and ive put 12 eggs under her, thinking this would be an easier way to hatch than the incubator, today is day 22, no sign of any pips no sign of any chirping. Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine

Run of bad luck or am i doing something fundamentally wrong?

All advise very welcomed especially about my broody being at day 22 I cant find anything on this online.

I am so close to going to the local hatchery and just grabbing some chicks to put under the broody

 

[nuthatched]

What is your birds diet? That can affect fertility rates. Did you calibrate your incubator? What are your fertility rates?

 

[Abonzo]

What is your birds diet? That can affect fertility rates. Did you calibrate your incubator? What are your fertility rates?

Fertility rates are high, almost every egg is viabile at both the 7 day and 14 day check for both times in the incubator and under the broody

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

For the bator running 10 eggs then 24 the humidify and heat would change
I have to make adjustments when I run 6 eggs then 12
I also calibrate hygrometer and thermometer and set inside
For the broody she may not have started to heat them properly the day you put them under her
Could have been 1-2 days later
Was she still laying eggs ? Or fully already sitting on some ?

 

[Abonzo]

For the bator running 10 eggs then 24 the humidify and heat would change
I have to make adjustments when I run 6 eggs then 12
I also calibrate hygrometer and thermometer and set inside
For the broody she may not have started to heat them properly the day you put them under her
Could have been 1-2 days later
Was she still laying eggs ? Or fully already sitting on some ?

yeah i thought that could be the case in the incubator aand have order and hygrometer and thermometer seperate to the inbuilt one for futhur use.

As for the hen she was sitting on some eggs i removed them and put these in i put way to many eggs at first like 20 i think, my wife had our baby the same day and i was so tired and wasnt thinking, she ended up eating a bunch of them then she stoped but she then ate one about a week about and she now has 12 remaining, she is an old bird and i think she was struggling to get out of the nest so i put her in a duck coop on ground level after she ate one, i am worried i just made too many mistakes now as i rewrite this, it has been a crazy few weeks with the baby and still running the smallholding(homestead)

She has lost a lot of weight and i am very worried about her, i think today i will get some day olds and put them under her tonight (she is a proven adopter so not to worried about her rejecting)

Would i be best to leave her be a few more days (no signs of pips or chirps of the eggs) Or just get her some day old and put them under her tonight?

 

[LaFleche]

She has lost a lot of weight and i am very worried about her, i think today i will get some day olds and put them under her tonight (she is a proven adopter so not to worried about her rejecting)

I would not risk to put newly bought chicks under an emaciated old and probably sick broody .

And even in case some of the eggs might hatch she will have a hard time caring for the chicks in her poor condition.

As you mentioned earlier, during the entire period of incubation there were several eggs of her clutch broken and eaten up on different days (mice/rats?)

So I wonder if anything will hatch at all as this would have left the leftover eggs and her nest soiled and open to severe bacterial infection unless you would have cleaned/washed the eggs and the broody carefully and have prepared a completely new and fresh nest for her each time an egg broke

 

[LaFleche]

my wife had our baby the same day and i was so tired and wasnt thinking,

And congratulations!

Boy or girl?

 

[Shadrach]

So i brought a brinsea incubator. put 10 eggs in it and hatched 10 - this was the first time i used it.

I gave it a clean put 24 eggs in Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine and they all failed, i had left the auto rotator on untill day 19 so assumed this was the reason for my failed attempt

Put another 24 eggs in Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine, only two 2 hatched and at day 24 very weak and both didnt make it past a few days.

Hen went broody and ive put 12 eggs under her, thinking this would be an easier way to hatch than the incubator, today is day 22, no sign of any pips no sign of any chirping. Checked viability via candling at day 7 and 14 - fine

Run of bad luck or am i doing something fundamentally wrong?

All advise very welcomed especially about my broody being at day 22 I cant find anything on this online.

I am so close to going to the local hatchery and just grabbing some chicks to put under the broody

12 eggs in a human made nest box unless it is a ground based box is a lot of eggs for a hen to control.
Did you make sure your hen got off the nest daily to eat, drink and dust bath?
Every time an eggs gets broken in the nest you need to strip the nest out, carefully removing the eggs. You shouldn't wash them but you should remove by carefully picking with a finger nail the worst of any egg on the outside of the shells. Eggs need that protective bloom on the outside and washing can remove some or all of this.
If the hen has got her underside covered in sticky egg from breakages then it's likely that she cannot turn the eggs properly because they are sticking to her mucky feathers/skin. Washing her isn't advisable but throwing her in a dust bath usually does enough to prevent further sticking.

Some pictures of the nest and the hen sitting might help.
Here is an article about what makes a good nest and what some of the problems are with not so good nests.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/

I would not get any chicks for her. She needs to get off the nest and build her strength back up.

 

[Abonzo]

And congratulations!

Boy or girl?

Little girl and thanks.

Yeah I know she was eating the eggs herself as every time shed have yolk on her face, the last time she ate one I did move and clean them and put her in a clean ground level coop.

she's a very large old brahma, doesn't move around so well but she can get around, its like her legs are abit weak so she likes to stay on the ground

There was about 24 eggs to start with, still 16 now.

Cant get any day olds locally so what else can i try? how long could i leave her on the eggs I've gave her a mash of growers pellets the last few days intermittently and she's eaten well while remaining on the nest. Comb is still a nice red colour. not seen any poo for day or so

 

[Abonzo]

12 eggs in a human made nest box unless it is a ground based box is a lot of eggs for a hen to control.
Did you make sure your hen got off the nest daily to eat, drink and dust bath?
Every time an eggs gets broken in the nest you need to strip the nest out, carefully removing the eggs. You shouldn't wash them but you should remove by carefully picking with a finger nail the worst of any egg on the outside of the shells. Eggs need that protective bloom on the outside and washing can remove some or all of this.
If the hen has got her underside covered in sticky egg from breakages then it's likely that she cannot turn the eggs properly because they are sticking to her mucky feathers/skin. Washing her isn't advisable but throwing her in a dust bath usually does enough to prevent further sticking.

Some pictures of the nest and the hen sitting might help.
Here is an article about what makes a good nest and what some of the problems are with not so good nests.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/

I would not get any chicks for her. She needs to get off the nest and build her strength back up.

Thank you for the info, what a informative article, much appreciated.

This was last night when i locked her up usually the door is open that she is next to.

I can already see the many mistakes i made, shall i leave her and the eggs for now unless she breaks another say?

Would she know better than me if they all died?