Help!

[DDM1987]

I bought one of those 12 egg "bubble" incubators that use the water bottles and have a rotating tray. I put twelve eggs in, and 9 of them proved viable and started development. 8 of the eggs died almost immediately after visible development of veins were visible. One single egg developed into a tiny form, my guess was about 10 day's development, and then it too died. Why?

I researched prior to incubating and saw one source said humidity should be 60-75% starting out, then 80%+ after Day 18, so I had the humidity at 70-74% respectively. But then three days later, I saw other sources were saying 40-55% humidity, which is what the manual said. I reduced it down to 52-54% respectively. Did this kill my eggs?

One source said the temperature should be 100, so I set the machine to that. However, after all my eggs were dead, I tested the temperature inside with a meat thermometer and it fluctuated between 98.5 and 99.5. Did that kill my eggs? The eggs were unwashed, freshly laid within the past 48 hours....

I only candled them at Day 7, saw all but one was dead. Candled the one on Day 14 and saw it too had since died. So was it the humidity? Was it the temperature? What I can do??? Someone give me the exact recommendations for humidity and temperature and tips/tricks to maintain that in this style incubator. I'd really like to succeed at this. I have some disappointed kids at the moment and am getting tired of rising chick prices at Rural King lol.... For context, I have a flock of 26 currently and am NOT a beginning "chicken tender", have always hatched chicks naturally or bought them. But, haven't had a broody hen for the past 2- 3 years. Hence, why I'm trying my hand at incubators.

 

[nuthatched]

Those are minor fluctuations, and wouldn't have affected the hatch. It probably had some other issues.

 

[Susan Skylark]

First check your turner, I just had 3/20 eggs hatch because I was trying a new incubator but didn’t realize the turner wasn’t doing it’s job, the eggs were moving but not enough or appropriately, over 50% early embryonic death with the only odd variable the turner. Second, get an external thermometer and make sure your temp is stable, go by that not the incubator temp. Third, relax about the humidity, and probably lose the bottle. Your humidity is going to jump around on these incubators, aim for an average, 45% for quail not sure on chickens, but the range will be 20-80%, the bottle keeps it around 75% constantly which is pretty high. I add water in the morning and the average is where it should be though it starts and ends at the extremes, chicks do fine. Fourth, are you subjecting your early or preincubation eggs to any stress? Shipping, over ten days old, extreme heat or cold exposure (even a few hours in the 90s can cause issues), incubator heat spikes can all cause significant death loss. Fifth, open your dud eggs, figure out when they died, how many, and maybe why (deformed chick, etc), learn from it too!

 

[C Siena]

I agree w @nuthatched minor fluctuations. I only began to use an incubator this year. I tested it running for a couple of days before I added the eggs, to check temp, humidity and egg turner. I also purchased a hygrometer to double check the temp/humidity. My temps were avg 98.5-99.5.

I don't think your high humidity for 3-4 days caused the fatalities.

How did you know that 9 of the eggs were viable at the start, as you didn't candle until day 7? I'm always wanting to learn.

Were the eggs yours or did you buy them?