Fertility and incubating help!

[Casastash]

So after a series of set backs I have begun to question my birds fertility

They are a lot of factors and errors playing into this but I would like any input or suggestions...

So in March I loaded up the incubator with 1 doz of my barnyard eggs and 3 doz Cornish cross. I have a crappy Lg 10300 and I have read the reviews and am aware of the humidity issue. I didn’t do a dry hatch the first go round. During this hatch I made several mistakes!

My kids were on spring break so there was a lot of running in the house and opening and closing of the incubator... by day ten I had only 7 that weren’t developing and they were all mine. By day 15 the rest of mine were early quitters. The Cornish then began getting blood rings that I suspect were from tiny hands trying to sneak in and candle eggs at night :/

Anyways we ended up with none hatching because after day 23 I gave up to the heart break

Fast forward a few weeks I loaned my incubator to a school with an urban farm program. ALL OF MY EGGS were slow developers so they tossed them! We also put 6 under a broody due to hatch Thursday and the broody ate all but 2 eggs :0 the remaining two haven’t hatched...



I have a variety of breeds of hens and several Roos!
All 2 year old hens on All Flock 18%protien and oyster shell. Free ranging on 10 acres of pasture and 5 acres of woods.

RIR
Australorp
Orpington
EE
14 hens W/ chocolate orp and EE roo
2 hens Silkies w/ showgirl roo

I can’t wrap my brain around -what is happening, I understand the the incubator issues after reading the 10300 reviews but even under the schools broody???

I don’t want to keep buying chicks!

Can anyone help me out? Offer any tips?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My best suggestion might be to supplement vitamins a week or so before hatching.

Fire that broody... she isn't worthy if she's eating eggs.

And if you aren't using external thermometers and hygrometers then that might be your problem. Regardless of reviews, if you make sure your bator stays in acceptable ranges... you will get hatches. I get pretty good hatches in my cheap incubators. If you are relying on a built in temp/hygro, they are often incorrect. Moving the eggs around to a new position daily, helps to combat temp difference that are there EVEN in forced air incubators... which helps to ensure even development.

Maybe explain to the kiddos that too much handling and candling can be the difference between life or death for the embryo's.

I need to find my hatch diagnostic tool... it gives specific reasons for quitters depending on the time frame.

Most your birds are dual purpose... 18% is pretty good if it isn't being diminished by treats like corn or scratch. 22% was shown to give better hatch rates. So I use the Purina flock raiser with 20% and OS on the side.

Please do tell... where did you set your temps and humidity? During those hatches?

 

[Casastash]

My best suggestion might be to supplement vitamins a week or so before hatching.

Fire that broody... she isn't worthy if she's eating eggs.

And if you aren't using external thermometers and hygrometers then that might be your problem. Regardless of reviews, if you make sure your bator stays in acceptable ranges... you will get hatches. I get pretty good hatches in my cheap incubators. If you are relying on a built in temp/hygro, they are often incorrect. Moving the eggs around to a new position daily, helps to combat temp difference that are there EVEN in forced air incubators... which helps to ensure even development.

Maybe explain to the kiddos that too much handling and candling can be the difference between life or death for the embryo's.

I need to find my hatch diagnostic tool... it gives specific reasons for quitters depending on the time frame.

Most your birds are dual purpose... 18% is pretty good if it isn't being diminished by treats like corn or scratch. 22% was shown to give better hatch rates. So I use the Purina flock raiser with 20% and OS on the side.

Please do tell... where did you set your temps and humidity? During those hatches?

Thank you so much!!!!

It is a forced air so I had it set at 99.5F and he second hatch did a dry hatch ( per recommendations from others with this bator) so humidity is about 35/40 which is what it is in the house

Sooo many helpful tips in this reply! I will up protien ASAP and get a few more temp gauges

 

[EggSighted4Life]

( per recommendations from others with this bator) so humidity is about 35/40 which is what it is in the house

I also do dry hatches around that humidity. Sometimes lower for darker eggs. And raise to 65% at day 18-21.

But your "dry" that is the same humidity as your house... is that with SOME water added in or none?

I suspect temp more than anything because a couple degrees is the difference between life and death.

Other known cause of early quitters is bacterial infection, I think.

 

[Casastash]

I also do dry hatches around that humidity. Sometimes lower for darker eggs. And raise to 65% at day 18-21.

But your "dry" that is the same humidity as your house... is that with SOME water added in or none?

I suspect temp more than anything because a couple degrees is the difference between life and death.

Other known cause of early quitters is bacterial infection, I think.

That is without any water until lockdown *theoretically* the last batch didn’t make it to lock down at the school. The first batch was too humid, I read most issues with the model of bator I have are from eggs drowning with too much humidity!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

So after a series of set backs I have begun to question my birds fertility

They are a lot of factors and errors playing into this but I would like any input or suggestions...

So in March I loaded up the incubator with 1 doz of my barnyard eggs and 3 doz Cornish cross. I have a crappy Lg 10300 and I have read the reviews and am aware of the humidity issue. I didn’t do a dry hatch the first go round. During this hatch I made several mistakes!

My kids were on spring break so there was a lot of running in the house and opening and closing of the incubator... by day ten I had only 7 that weren’t developing and they were all mine. By day 15 the rest of mine were early quitters. The Cornish then began getting blood rings that I suspect were from tiny hands trying to sneak in and candle eggs at night :/

Anyways we ended up with none hatching because after day 23 I gave up to the heart break

Fast forward a few weeks I loaned my incubator to a school with an urban farm program. ALL OF MY EGGS were slow developers so they tossed them! We also put 6 under a broody due to hatch Thursday and the broody ate all but 2 eggs :0 the remaining two haven’t hatched...

How old are your Roos?

I have a variety of breeds of hens and several Roos!
All 2 year old hens on All Flock 18%protien and oyster shell. Free ranging on 10 acres of pasture and 5 acres of woods.

RIR
Australorp
Orpington
EE
14 hens W/ chocolate orp and EE roo
2 hens Silkies w/ showgirl roo

I can’t wrap my brain around -what is happening, I understand the the incubator issues after reading the 10300 reviews but even under the schools broody???

I don’t want to keep buying chicks!View attachment 1377107

Can anyone help me out? Offer any tips?

 

[Casastash]

The chocolate orp is 2, the white EE is almost a year and the showgirl is almost 2 as well!

They are doing the deed and I do see bullseyes in the eggs we eat.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That is without any water until lockdown *theoretically*

NO way, I believe that the incubator stays the same humidity as the house. You're a little farther north than me... What is you altitude? (Never mind, I looked it up and that isn't it) I live in the Pacific Northwest. A technical rain forest, on the coast... in other words, high humidity. When you add heat, the humidity dissipates. My incubator ALWAYS has a lower humidity than my house by at least 15%... completely dry. So I would expect to see some difference between the inside and outside humidity of your bator. What did you use to measure them? Maybe your first time, but your dry hatch... that wasn't drowning that caused your issue. It could be bacterial. Sorry this sounds snotty I promise it isn't!

Many people feed only 16% protein and still have good hatches.. I don't think it's your flock practice. I really do think this is temperature related... and EVEN in this incubator you can have great hatches with calibrated equipment... I have the GQF 1602N with no fan or turner and got my best hatches. I have a hova bator Genesis, that I think is about the same as the one you are using...

Are you using an egg turner and have you verified it in different positions or are you hand turning? Did you clean the incubator with anything? The school said your eggs were slow developers... did they have others in the same incubator that were NOT?

Are your broody eggs due to hatch the Thursday that is still coming or already passed? She obviously isn't that great a broody so you really can't count her others not making it as an issue with your eggs.

When are you going to try again?!

 

[Casastash]

When I measured humidity at the first hatch is was 33 in the house and 40s while calibrating so pretty similar. We have a LOT of humidity where I live so I run a dehumidifier regularly.

The school only had my eggs and tossed them based on candling...


I haven’t got an update on the broody yet I’m hoping for chicks

I’m hoping to start up in a few week again when the temperature where I live is more stable.

I’m going to calibrate a few days ahead and up protien starting this weekend. I’m going to try and rule out any pourous eggs... gaaaa I’m also thinking of grabbing some eggs from someone else to see if it’s any better... wish me luck

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Definitely... hope it comes along for you!