I'm not exactly a brand new member, but this is my first post. I've spent a while lurking through the forums and reading a lot of information here, and I'm hoping some of the more experienced members can help me with some trouble we've had with our new incubation/hatching setup.
We recently acquired what I would consider to be a top notch setup, but so far I am really frustrated and disappointed in every outcome we've had. We purchased a used GQF Sportsman 1502 and a Dickey's hatcher for a near steal on Craigslist, and we thought we had it made. Gone were our days of styrofoam incubators and fretting about temperature and humidity. Right? Wrong.
Our main problem thus far is prolonged hatching, which has led to weak chicks, chicks stuck in a partially zipped shell, and a lot of unhatched eggs. I cannot for the life of me troubleshoot this, and it's driving us nuts!
Days 1-17 (for chicken eggs) are spent in the 1502, at the incubator's recommended temperature of 100*, at relative humidity stays between 45-55%. On day 18 , the eggs are transferred from the 1502 into the Dickey's hatcher for lockdown, at 99* and relative humidity of 65-70% or so. On day 21, some of the eggs start to pip, we always have a relatively small percentage of on-time hatches, and then time seems to drain on. Lots of the chicks spend the next 24 hours or so struggling to get free from the shells, and a disturbing amount of pipped shells just never see any further activity.
Temperatures and humidity are pretty constant. (Isn't that supposed to be the appeal of cabinet incubators?) I've never seen the thermometer/hygrometers fluctuate to indicate a problem with humidity or temperature.
Please, oh wise ones of BackYard Chickens, pick apart my process here and tell me what I'm doing wrong, for the love of Pete! What is causing my prolonged (and therefore disappointingly disastrous!) hatches??
Thank you in advance for your time and knowledge!
We recently acquired what I would consider to be a top notch setup, but so far I am really frustrated and disappointed in every outcome we've had. We purchased a used GQF Sportsman 1502 and a Dickey's hatcher for a near steal on Craigslist, and we thought we had it made. Gone were our days of styrofoam incubators and fretting about temperature and humidity. Right? Wrong.
Our main problem thus far is prolonged hatching, which has led to weak chicks, chicks stuck in a partially zipped shell, and a lot of unhatched eggs. I cannot for the life of me troubleshoot this, and it's driving us nuts!
Days 1-17 (for chicken eggs) are spent in the 1502, at the incubator's recommended temperature of 100*, at relative humidity stays between 45-55%. On day 18 , the eggs are transferred from the 1502 into the Dickey's hatcher for lockdown, at 99* and relative humidity of 65-70% or so. On day 21, some of the eggs start to pip, we always have a relatively small percentage of on-time hatches, and then time seems to drain on. Lots of the chicks spend the next 24 hours or so struggling to get free from the shells, and a disturbing amount of pipped shells just never see any further activity.
Temperatures and humidity are pretty constant. (Isn't that supposed to be the appeal of cabinet incubators?) I've never seen the thermometer/hygrometers fluctuate to indicate a problem with humidity or temperature.
Please, oh wise ones of BackYard Chickens, pick apart my process here and tell me what I'm doing wrong, for the love of Pete! What is causing my prolonged (and therefore disappointingly disastrous!) hatches??
Thank you in advance for your time and knowledge!
