Help. New to incubating. Eggs are partially forming then dying

[kandersn3]

I raise silkies. The mother usually hatches but then they are being taken by an unknown animal. So recently decided to bring them in and incubate them. I have them in a box with sponges for humidty and under a heat lamp. keep temp at 99-102. I have had one egg die yesterday, it just stopped moving, it was on day 13. Im afraid the other ones will start to die also. Is it possible he isnt dead? He was moving alot and now i cant see him move at all with candleing. any advice will help. thanks

 

[PoultryGirly]

They are fine! Don't worry! Sometimes the chick's will move and other times they will be as still as ever. If you see a blood ring, though, that means the embryo died in the shell. Are you turning them? What is the humidity? is there a top on your incubator to keep the humidity stable?

 

[PoultryGirly]

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[kandersn3]

there is no top on the box. I dont know the humidty, I just keep wet sponges and water bowl in the box. I turn them at least 3 times a day. he was moving just fine and for like 2 days every time I candle. He doesnt move.

 

[poltroon]

102 is too hot. The eggs really want a consistent temperature, and you want to be at 99.5.

Another concern with the heat lamp is that it is very directional, and it may be that the effective temperature at the top of the egg and the bottom is different.

You may still get a hatch but the eggs will have to really want to hatch in a setup like this. I would probably try a heating pad rather than a lamp if I was going to improvise - you'd get less gradient and less challenge controlling the radiant heat aspect. (The radiant heat can mean that the surface of the shell is getting to be far in excess of the air temperature - think of an object outside in the sun on a sunny day.)

I don't usually candle long enough to see movement in mine, so that wouldn't cause me to worry particularly.

 

[kandersn3]

ok Thank u everyone. Im waiting on my incubator to arrive, so hopefully soon wont have these problems.