I can't believe this no development and early embryo deaths 23 eggs!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm so sorry! That's so sad. Poor little guys.

i started off with the Little Giant incubators and lost several batches before finally buying a hova bator. It seemed almost impossible to keep the temps stabilized in the LGs, and i kept them in a secure temperature-controlled room.

i've never incubated duck eggs, but i would think the humidity would be even more important for those than chicken eggs. i've got a couple of Flukers reptile thermometer/hygrometers and then just bought three of those Walmart ones, you can't beat the price.

As suggested, you probably do want to thoroughly clean your bator before trying again, especially if you had a couple eggs go funky on you.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
Huh,
Learn something new every day dont you?
I never knew they werent effective, however, I wouldnt recomend the use of bleach in a styrofoam incubator!
Aubrey

 

[Ducklove334]

All eggs were ours, from our fixed flock, chicks would have been mutts, and CUTE mutts too!

the duck eggs were mine too.

as for turning, I've always read/been told turn every 4-6 hours?

I always kept water in the bottom channels, and in a little bowl as well,

I have plans to get an auto egg turner soon though, probly for any spring hatches.

the biggests dead baby was one of my 25th hatch dates, that was the most depressing.


but try and try again i will until i get success, though i think I'm gonna do smaller numbers so I don't have to focus on so much as once

 

[becky3086]

When I first got my LG I had a lot of problems hatching eggs. The instructions said to keep the plugs in until the last 4 days and then to just take one out then. It also said to open the incubator for a half hour every day to let the eggs cool. This last bit I wasn't doing and most of the eggs would die. When I finally realized I had missed that step and I started opening the incubator for a half hour every day, I started getting better hatch rates. However now I am doing dry incubation, hand turning, and leaving both plugs out and not bothering with the opening each day for a half hour and my hatch rates have been even better.
Hope that helps.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Humidity issues usual only kill at hatch time.

I disagree with that. This site --> http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA204 says that humidity and temp problems are on the list for embryo death throughout almost the entire incubation process.​

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
i've never heard of this. Guess i never read my instructions thoroughly. Would opening the bator every day be something you want to do with all foam incubators, just the LGs, or with all? It makes sense, since the hen would get off the eggs everyday to eat and poop.

 

[halo]

Quote:
Huh,
Learn something new every day dont you?
I never knew they werent effective, however, I wouldnt recomend the use of bleach in a styrofoam incubator!
Aubrey

I always use bleach in my styro incubators. After each hatch, I spray a 1/6 solution of bleach/water, let it sit, then scrub it out, rinse and set up shop again.

 

[pegasuschick]

I have three different hygrometers. Two of the same brand are at least 10 points higher than the other. The two that are Accurites are new, the other one has been through one hatch and wasn't a problem.
My question. If they can be that far off, how can we be sure that our humidity is correct? Right now I have one of each in my bator and am keeping the humidity at 55 on the older one and 65 on the newer one. Maybe they will average out?
Yikes!

 

[rnoyster]

I am new to this site and wanted to start hatching some eggs from my birds to increase my flock. I set 23 eggs on February 10. The temp has been steady since at 98.5 - 99.9. The humidity has never been lower than 38% and never reached 50%. Today, I candled a couple to see what I could see and every one that I candled looked the same. Dark on the bottom and light on the top. I have seen the pictures from the University of Nebraska site and nothing that I am seeing even resembles those pictures. Do I just have a line of unfertile eggs or is something else worng? Do I just have to wait longer to see anything?
My hens are Buff Orpington/RIR cross and the roo is RIR/Gamecock cross.
Dick

 

[MissPrissy]

How are you cleaning and sanitizing your incubator.

With such early deaths it really seems to me that you have had most likely had a bacteria in the bator that killed the embryos.

I see you said you left it up and were planning to set more eggs.

I would tear it apart, removing all the screws and electric componants. Wash everything you can wash in hot soapy water. Rinse it well. Soak the pieces in a dilution of bleach and water. Set it out int he sunshine (such little as it is in winter) and let it dry. Use a damp cloth with the bleach water on it wipe down the parts you cannot submerge or get wet.

Once every peice is clean and dry put it back together. Turn it on and let it run a few days before setting more eggs.

Good luck on your next set of eggs.