Hatching Problem

[buzzard49]

I'm not sure how to start this, but with the knowledgeable crowd on here, maybe someone can explain my problem.
Last year I had so-so results with a GFC styro incubator. Thought I could do better if I built one. So, I did.It will hold 147 eggs on 3 trays. Each tray with a turner. It will hold 99.5 all day without fail. It has a water tray on top for humidity and was kept around 55-60
percent humidity at all times. Hatching tray on bottom.
My problem is, it will hatch chicken eggs at about 85-90%. Pheasant eggs absolute "0". All eggs were mine. None shipped in. Red Golden, Lady Amhurst and Reeves. Nothing hatched from a pheasant.
They eat good, no health problems I'm aware of. All birds are at least 2 years old.
Most were clear at candling, some died in shell about half way through and none made it past day 17 or 18.
Any answers?? Pretty much done this year, maybe a few under a hen but not expecting much there either.
Thank you

 

[PheasantsFirst]

I also have a similar incident, but dealing with broody hens instead of incubators. Last year I set 5 of my LA eggs under a broody LA hen and all hatched. The year before she had gone broody and hatched one. A couple weeks later I got a silkie to hatch 4 out of 4 red golden eggs that I set under her. Hoping to continue the good results this year I have set LA and RG eggs under two different hens, one has hatched chickens before) and I've only got one chick which quickly died. Is it something about the eggs or the hens hatching them? With the first hen this year, most of the eggs had mostly developed. I eill be checking the second hen's eggs this afternoon. It seems like it would be a simular problem as @buzzard49 has.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

How old are your hens and the male. Are you adding water to your tray if so maybe your putting in cold water instead of warm. How many times are you opening the door. Does it have a vent on the top that is not open? Pix of your incubator may be helpful. Have you wormed them at all?

 

[buzzard49]

My birds are all under 4 years of age. I don't open the door but every-other day to add water to trays. I only add tepid water to trays to keep the temp up. No, none of my birds have been wormed. Okay, got me on that one! What is the best type of wormer and when to worm? I have plenty of vent holes, I will try to get pics this week of incubator inside and out. I may try again to hatch something again. I am going to move it to my storm shelter. May be a more constant temp and cooler in there. It's 5 feet underground at floor level.

 

[LavLady]

My birds are all under 4 years of age. I don't open the door but every-other day to add water to trays. I only add tepid water to trays to keep the temp up. No, none of my birds have been wormed. Okay, got me on that one! What is the best type of wormer and when to worm? I have plenty of vent holes, I will try to get pics this week of incubator inside and out. I may try again to hatch something again. I am going to move it to my storm shelter. May be a more constant temp and cooler in there. It's 5 feet underground at floor level.

A storm shelter sounds to me like an ideal place to keep an incubator!

X2 on the wormer...

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

It doesn't sound to me of the placement of where you have it is the problem unless it's not holding temp which you say it is. You may be having some problems because you are opening the door to add water and if you could find a way to add it without opening would be alot better try putting a small hose threw there to fill but I would guess your problem is that you have never wormed your birds. You should be doing it 2x a year. I normally worm in october because I can get pumpkins and they love it and its a natural dewormer for them and then again before breading season.
Do your birds have any sort of cough or sneezing?
I'm sure its something simple but narrowing it down may be hard and your window for pheasants is short.

 

[buzzard49]

Nope, no wheezing or runny eyes, no watery droppings.All birds appear to be content. I will try the pumpkin worming idea this fall. If it trully works, I'll plant my own for them. Anyway, the wife says the incubator must go outside.........soon!
So, I figure the next best place is the storm shelter. It has no problem holding temp. It does great at that. I could bore a couple more small holes for a water line to refill the water pans. Just plug them when I'm done. Another idea, thanks all.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

I would leave the water line in and not take it out. Make sure you put luke warm water into it and not hot or cold or that will mess with your humidity for awhile and may hurt the eggs.
So I have to ask is the storm shelter for people or birds Hope you never have to use except for the birds. Can you take a pix of your incubator may be able to help that way

 

[Tony K T]

The problem could be with your birds not your incubator.If the birds aren't breeding,your not gonna get fertile eggs.Maybe the infertile were their first few eggs and then they began breeding.When you say you have plenty of vent holes,are they all open?If so,how open are they?Too much air will also interfere with incubation.Your temp and humidity are right on so it's got to be too much air or birds not breeding.Your breeding pens,are they next to each other so the males can see each other?Or do you have a separation wall so they can't see each other?I've found that males will tend to run back and forth at the divider if they can see the male in the next pen.
Do you wash your eggs?
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[buzzard49]

I have 2, 3 inch fans for air movement. The intake on both fans are 1/2 open. I have 3 vent holes at the bottom of the front door 1/2 inch in diameter each. I have 1 of these plugged. The intake holes for the fans are 1 1/2 inches in dia.
The males can see each other. I do not have a barrier between them except for wire.I do not wash any egg that goes in the incubator.
I had no idea to much air could be a problem. Maybe I should unwire 1 of the fans!