Hands on hatching and help

[Ravynscroft]

I don't even hatch in it It's getting a good cleaning out after this batch, that's for sure.

Are you sure it's coming from the incubator? I'm just checking cuz I set an egg down in a really odd place before and forgot it was there... until my nose found it...

 

[Pyxis]

Are you sure it's coming from the incubator? I'm just checking cuz I set an egg down in a really odd place before and forgot it was there... until my nose found it...

I'll have to check around, I wouldn't put it past myself to have done that, lol.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I'll have to check around, I wouldn't put it past myself to have done that, lol.

I tend to be horribly careless and forgetful with eggs that aren't intended for hatching of any sort...

 

[allisonvalle]

its day 22 and almost dark where I'm at and still no chicks . I'm trying to stay positive a patient but I don't know how much more I can take . I'm a first time hatcher don't really know what I am doing I am scared that I have done something wrong. I NEED HELP !!!!

 

[Pyxis]

its day 22 and almost dark where I'm at and still no chicks . I'm trying to stay positive a patient  but I don't know how much more I can take . I'm a first time hatcher don't really know what I am  doing I am scared that I have done something wrong. I NEED HELP !!!!

The trouble is with no way to measure the temp and the humidity we can't really help you. Could they just be late because your temperature has been too low? Maybe. Could a temp spike or a temp low have killed them? Also possible. Could the humidity have been wrong and could they have drowned in the shells, a common cause of late death during incubation? Another possibility. Without a way to measure those critical components of incubation we can't really help you and can only take shots in the dark.

My advice is to go out, right now, and pick something up to measure these things. You can get a nice digital thermometer with a probe in the reptile section of any pet store. You can get a combo temp and humidity reader at Walmart from the thermometer section, or you can grab a humidity gage from the pet store while you're there getting the thermometer, although these are not as accurate. None of these things will cost you more than $10.

 

[casportpony]

One could also measure egg shell temp maybe? I use one of these:


http://www.thepoultrysite.com/downloads/download/174/
-Kathy

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The one on the right was fully hatched, but dead. You can tell it was barely hatched, still not fluffy. The 2 on the left were sticking thru their zips like they tried so hard to get out. I nearly cried. They were still semi-warm, so I held them until I was sure they were gone. If I had come home a bit earlier, I may have saved them....

So sorry, WV. Don't beat yourself up, I know harder done than said. I still have moments of anger at myself for when I lost my beautiful silkie. Many people will gain from your experience.

The whole point to this thread is to show that many of us are successful, even though we don't follow the "rules" that so many preach about. Opening the incubator during the last 3 days is one of the biggest things we have disproven as being a strict no-no. As long as you can keep your humidity from falling drastically, and if you don't have any active hatching, and if you see no pips, then you aren't going to hurt anything. Do it quickly and carefully, don't toss the egg around (lol) and it should be fine.

Exactly. We are "hands on" hatchers.

Are you sure it's coming from the incubator? I'm just checking cuz I set an egg down in a really odd place before and forgot it was there... until my nose found it...

I've done that!

its day 22 and almost dark where I'm at and still no chicks . I'm trying to stay positive a patient but I don't know how much more I can take . I'm a first time hatcher don't really know what I am doing I am scared that I have done something wrong. I NEED HELP !!!!

Honestly, when you are bringing life into the world, especially in an artificial way such as incubating, you should give them the best chance you can by being prepared. It's not fair to those little lives to start them off without being able to give them the best environment for development and survival that you can and when you are talking about hatching, the two most important things are temps and humidity. Those two things can make or break your hatch and if you can't monitor them, you can't attempt to provide them with the best incubation/hatching environment. I by no means am trying to be mean, we ALL make mistakes, but you set yourself and the chicks up for failure if you have no means to monitor their conditions, especially temps.

The trouble is with no way to measure the temp and the humidity we can't really help you. Could they just be late because your temperature has been too low? Maybe. Could a temp spike or a temp low have killed them? Also possible. Could the humidity have been wrong and could they have drowned in the shells, a common cause of late death during incubation? Another possibility. Without a way to measure those critical components of incubation we can't really help you and can only take shots in the dark. My advice is to go out, right now, and pick something up to measure these things. You can get a nice digital thermometer with a probe in the reptile section of any pet store. You can get a combo temp and humidity reader at Walmart from the thermometer section, or you can grab a humidity gage from the pet store while you're there getting the thermometer, although these are not as accurate. None of these things will cost you more than $10.

Xs 2

 

[Pyxis]

Honestly, when you are bringing life into the world, especially in an artificial way such as incubating, you should give them the best chance you can by being prepared. It's not fair to those little lives to start them off without being able to give them the best environment for development and survival that you can and when you are talking about hatching, the two most important things are temps and humidity. Those two things can make or break your hatch and if you can't monitor them, you can't attempt to provide them with the best incubation/hatching environment. I by no means am trying to be mean, we ALL make mistakes, but you set yourself and the chicks up for failure if you have no means to monitor their conditions, especially temps.

I couldn't have said this better myself

 

[WVduckchick]

Are you sure it's coming from the incubator? I'm just checking cuz I set an egg down in a really odd place before and forgot it was there... until my nose found it...

Oops, that reminds me, there are still 2 DIS eggs in my incubator

 

[ShanandGem]

I'm starting to stress a little. Hatch day is Sunday. I am using a Hovabator 1602 (still air, with the wafer thermostat). I've never had this many live babies make it this far before and I have had to turn the temperature down one complete turn of the dial in the last few days. Anyone know if this is normal? There are 16 eggs in the incubator. I'm worried my thermometers are reading wrong somehow, but I have three in there so surely that can't be it.