HELP!! Can't seem to hatch chicken eggs ..???? Please Help....

[critters]

I have hatched several dozen successful incubated guinea and duck eggs...
BUT each time I try incubating chicken eggs they seem to die about day 18-20
and can't figure out what I am doing wrong???
temp 99.5 humidity @ 63-65%...."still air" little giant incubator...
I candle my eggs, see growth
this last batch, as with the others,heard faint pecking day 18/19 (checked different eggs
at random).... so, any suggestions?? I want to incubate chicken eggs too!

 

[Megan Amber]

It sounds as though the humidity needs to be raised. On the last couple days I raise the humidity to around 65% or more (usually more). Also I have heard that when using a still air incubator the temperature needs to be around 102 because of the heat layers. I have always used a fan in mine. I hope this has helped a little and happy hatching!

 

[Bill 101]

Megan is right. Temperature during incubation on a still air should be 102 at the top of the egg. Humidity will vary with your location. How are you measuring humidity? Is it a Hydrometer or a wet bulb thermometer? I think you would be better off having a 50% humidity (hydrometer reading) A wet bulb thermometer would read 85 degrees ( which is equal to 50% humidity)

 

[critters]

I use a Hydrometer...have another incubator on day 13...is it too late to up the temp to 102
at this point and have a successful hatch??

thanks for your advice so far

 

[Megan Amber]

Well, first I would take the temperature at the top of the egg to see what it is. I don't know if you could up the temp for sure, but I think you could if necessary.

 

[cmfarm]

I think your humidity is too high.

 

[Bill 101]

I don't think changing temperature now would hurt anything, but remember that is at the TOP of the egg. Also lowering the humidity is a good idea. How much to lower it becomes a question considering I think it has been to high since the start of your incubation. That could be answered a bit better by knowing what the air cell size is like. Check the air cell diagrams that are shown (somewhere here) to see how yours compare with those. I would think yours would be to small for the number of days into incubation, You would have to adjust your humidity accordingly, my best GUESS would be something around 20% range just to get your eggs to conform to the examples by lockdown. You don't really have a lot of time , but it just may be enough to increase the possibly of a better hatch.

 

[critters]

thanks for all your help!! keep your fingers crossed for me...