First time hatcher attempting pea fowl & need help!

[Shawna73]

I agree with WV and Kathy that you can candle them and look for signs of life. Also, you mention the temperature you had them at, but not the humidity, although you said it does have a hygrometer. What was your humidity for the first 25 days, and what do you have it at now for lockdown?

It does not have a gage for the humidity, sorry it left out the "not" so I went back and added it. I'm going to attempt everyone's suggestion of candle them again this evening when I return home. I'm not ready to give up yet but also don't want to keep waiting for nothing

 

[Pyxis]

It does not have a gage for the humidity, sorry it left out the "not" so I went back and added it. I'm going to attempt everyone's suggestion of candle them again this evening when I return home. I'm not ready to give up yet but also don't want to keep waiting for nothing

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but humidity is a really important aspect of incubation, one that can make or break a hatch. Without knowing what it was or is at is a big handicap. Were you adding water to the incubator while incubating? How do the air cells look, do they look like they progressed normally?

Both humidity too low and humidity too high during incubation will kill chicks before they hatch, so it is very important to monitor it.

 

[WVduckchick]

Okay go ahead hit me.

Never!! But I knew I could tease you...

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but humidity is a really important aspect of incubation, one that can make or break a hatch. Without knowing what it was or is at is a big handicap. Were you adding water to the incubator while incubating? How do the air cells look, do they look like they progressed normally?

Both humidity too low and humidity too high during incubation will kill chicks before they hatch, so it is very important to monitor it.

x2

@Shawna73 Whereabouts are you located?

 

[Shawna73]

Never!! But I knew I could tease you...



x2

@Shawna73 Whereabouts are you located?

Columbus, Indiana

 

[Shawna73]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but humidity is a really important aspect of incubation, one that can make or break a hatch. Without knowing what it was or is at is a big handicap. Were you adding water to the incubator while incubating? How do the air cells look, do they look like they progressed normally?

Both humidity too low and humidity too high during incubation will kill chicks before they hatch, so it is very important to monitor it.

We have added water as it evaporated from the channels in the bottom. I did have a thought that when I get back home this afternoon I'll try putting my husbands cigar hemidor gage in the incubator to see what it reads while I candle them to see if I can see anything going on. I was just afraid to open it again as I've read so many thing that say not to.

 

[Shawna73]

My attempt (as good or bad as that have been) at trying to candle these last night makes me think none of these eggs were ever fertile to begin with. I think I'll let them go a few more days. At least the lady who sold them to me is sweet enough to give me the first round this next spring/summer when hers lays again.
Thank you everyone for your insight!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Aw, so sorry....That's really sweet of her. Can you candle and get a few pics of the eggs while you do? If so, you could maybe post them and those following could help you decide for sure?
Just a thought....

 

[casportpony]

Ask the lady you got them from when her cock birds lost their trains and when then stopped mating. Many pea breeders say that a hen will lay fertile eggs for ~2 weeks after they loose their trains.

 

[Shawna73]

Ask the lady you got them from when her cock birds lost their trains and when then stopped mating. Many pea breeders say that a hen will lay fertile eggs for ~2 weeks after they loose their trains.

He still had his train when I picked up the eggs but lost it about 2 was after. In fact when talking to her last night her hen just laid 5 more eggs this past week but she threw them out because of not knowing if they'd fertile or not.