Help with Peafowl eggs

[maxfischer]

After weeks of eggs not hatching I figured I would ask some advice to help figure out what I am doing wrong or not doing correct. First for my equipment (yes I know Styrofoam countertop Incubators are not the ideal equipment) I have a Hova Bator 1602N with fan kit, and an egg turner. I set this up weeks before my first eggs arrived and it runs at 99.4-99.8 every time I look at the thermometer, and the humidity is running at 60%.

All my eggs were purchased off Ebay and seem to be for the most part fertile. Out of the first 3 I purchased I ended up with 2 being fertile. I have been keeping them point down for 25 days and placing them on their side for the last days. I have done this with a total of 8 eggs and none have hatched.

I have eggs left in the incubator that are in various stages, I would like to end up hatching some of them. All the eggs from this point when arrived had been placed point down and sat overnight at room temp before adding to the incubator.

I have been removing the eggs after day 31 and opening them to see the development, and have found that in most of the cases them seem to be fully developed but just not hatching.


Please let me know if I am doing something wrong.
Thank you
-Cory

 

[stoopid]

I would keep the humidity lower, say, 30-40% until lockdown.
But I am no expert on Peas. I got a bunch off e-bay, and after the USPS ruined my hatch (priority mail= 9 DAYS. IN THE SUMMER) 3 times. I hatched out 2 chicks.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

These are chicken eggs? It is written by the experts that a egg used for hatching should lose between 13-15% of it's weight by hatching time.If you have a small digital scale that weighs in grams you can weigh each egg before they go into the bator then periodicaly check their weights again to see how much lighter they are getting.Too high of humidity will not allow the eggs to lose weight,and too low will cause them to lose too much.About 40-45% rh until last 3 days before hatching,then up the rh levels to 50-55% to help allow the inner membrane not to dry out once the egg is pipped.Course this is what people who have annual salaries with 6 figures tells us we should do,,everyone has their own proven method

 

[AugeredIn]

I know a lot has been written about humidity so I will just state what works for me. I used to have a Genesis. Then I moved to an older 1202. Now I have a digital sportsman. With all three, the correct humidity for the best hatching for me was 45% or lower. I don't even worry if I forget to fill the water tub for a day.

So, I would guess that your humidity drowned the chicks. If the eggs that were fertile fully developed, you can be sure that there was too much water in the shell. Since you have nothing to lose, let the humidity drop to nothing for the eggs that remain in there until they reach their hatch date to see if you can get the air space developed.

It gets very little discussion in the forums, but most of the hatcheries punch a whole in the egg at the air space to avoid unnecessary drownings. You can find descriptions on how to do this on the web.

 

[Yoda]

For best results the eggs should be laid on the side the entire time. Use goose racks or you can make your own out of the racks you have by zip tying plastic mesh to them. I don't know what the humidity is anymore in my incubator, seems the digital thermometer works but the humidity part does not. I believe it is around 50-55% All I know is I have 5 juice glasses full in my bator and all my fertile eggs hatch. I figure why play with it if it seems to be working fine. Yes I use a HovaBator.

 

[Trefoil]

I have thought about punching a hole in the eggs but never read about it before. Could you give a link to info about it? Do you do it? what do you use? I am trying to search about it, but not having any luck. Thanks.

 

[maxfischer]

Thank you all for the advise, I will be placing the remaining eggs on their side, and I have lowered the humidity as well. Wish me luck and I hope photos will follow!

 

[AugeredIn]

I have thought about punching a hole in the eggs but never read about it before. Could you give a link to info about it? Do you do it? what do you use? I am trying to search about it, but not having any luck. Thanks.

I will see if I can find a link. If you have access to the common poultry magazines there is an article in one of the current editions. I cannot remember whether it was backyard poultry or one of the other ones.