Humidity question.. All dead..

[darin367]

I havent hatched in a few years. I have a little giant still air incubator.. My hens are aging so I thought I'd hatch to replenish my flock... I set 35 eggs, candled at day 13, had 32 good eggs... Locked them down on day 18, they pipped on day 21, could hear chirping etc.. I only had 1 egg that started to crack the shell... I opened a few on day 23, they seem dried out etc... I never had a problem hatching before.. I'm thinking it was my humidity.. I never measured my humidity before, just filled the water trays and everything was fine... What are you guys using to measure your humidity.. something inexpensive I hope...

 

[bargain]

Sounds like a lack of humidity. If you did an eggtopcy, did you see dry paper like around the embryos? If the embryos are like in a wet saran wrap then too much humidity. I use an indoor/outdoor hygrometer thermometer from Radio shack. Used to use one from walmart which was a little cheaper but "lost its way much more" Also calibrate our thermometer too. I'm going to send you a link for how to calibrate thermometer/hygrometer. There may be some other ones in our learning center as well. Will look for you later. Here's one link which I hope you can see and it will help. If not, please pm and I'll try to find our doc for this and cut and paste. https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-...meters-to-maximize-your-hatch/829123757116000 Hope this helps youand have a blessed day.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear you have had a bad hatch. Humidty could be a factor as you said the chicks seemed dry. Did your airsacs develop normally? Usually with too low humidty your air sacs would have been too large. Here is a good guide I go on

Dry chicks would also point me towards too low hatching humidity. I like at least 65% for lockdown and once the chicks start hatching they naturally put the humidity up with them being wet. In my first incubator it didn't have a hygrometer so I purchased a reptile one form the pet shop it was £3 GBP. Did you have a second thermometer to check the temp at the top of the eggs. 101 -102 F for still air.
We're the eggs from your ageing hens? If so this could also play a factor in hatch rates.

 

[scflock]

I havent hatched in a few years. I have a little giant still air incubator.. My hens are aging so I thought I'd hatch to replenish my flock... I set 35 eggs, candled at day 13, had 32 good eggs... Locked them down on day 18, they pipped on day 21, could hear chirping etc.. I only had 1 egg that started to crack the shell... I opened a few on day 23, they seem dried out etc... I never had a problem hatching before.. I'm thinking it was my humidity.. I never measured my humidity before, just filled the water trays and everything was fine... What are you guys using to measure your humidity.. something inexpensive I hope...

I had similar results in an LG still air. I would guess that your humidity was too high during the first 18 days if you filled all the water trays. Were they fully developed, but didn't hatch? They may have drowned from not a large enough air sac. That's exactly what I did wrong my first go around