I have failed

[EmptyNesterNoMore]

I am so disappointed. It has been 21 days since I started my first incubating experience. I monitored the temperature very carefully but while I had water in the bottom, was not able to monitor the humidity. After many attempts and failures at candeling, I was finally able to "see" veins and even movement in the white eggs. I was never that lucky with the brown eggs (just couldn't see anything but dark and light areas). I did add water on the 18th day and left everything alone. Today, still nothing. So...I did something, I should not have done..I opened the incubator up and took one of the brown eggs out, and cracked it open. (I was praying that I wasn't killing a chicken). Their was an obvious embryo inside but smaller than, perhaps a fingernail. Their was also some red blood in the shell but I am not sure if it was a blood ring. I don't know what to do now, because obviously I did do something wrong and that poor little thing didn't make it. How many more did I do that to? Do I wait a couple days? At the end of that time, do I open all the shells only to find the same? I feel horrible. What do I do differently next time, other than purchasing something to monitor the humidity?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Give them a few more days. In the mean time your humidity is just as important as your temp. Make sure you are within the ranges for good temp level for your specific incubator still air or forced air and humidity levels. Humidity for the first 18 days is different than what you need for the last 3. So get yourself a good thermometer/hygrometer to measure both. I have a small mag flashlight I got at Lowes ( I think I paid 10 or 12.00 for it) and I can see into dark Marans eggs even so make sure your candling device is a good one. Make sure your room and lights are all off and candle at day 10 you will be surprised how well you can see into the eggs. Just have patience, incubation is a learning experience, read up on it and asked questions here. We are all here to help.

 

[Akane]

Humidity being off will not kill them during incubation only during hatch. Too low or too high of humidity during incubation can cause too large or small of air sac but it still won't cause a problem until they go to hatch. If it didn't develop all the way you either had a temp spike somewhere, your thermometer is too far off and your temps were not accurate, or you set one or more eggs with damaged embryos from shipping or improper storage. Once you get to hatching time humidity is more likely to cause death than temp. That's when a humidity gauge is most useful.

It's best to leave eggs a few days after they are due before starting to check them. Especially if none have hatched yet since they might just be late. Opening the bator to check them now could kill chicks getting ready to pip tomorrow. After a few days I scrape a hole in the large end of the egg and see if I hear peeping or break some more egg away and eventually find a dead chick. Once I find a live chick in an egg I try to determine if it's stuck and they all need help or if I just need to put it back and wait some more. They will still hatch with a small hole in the end of the egg without you needing to do anything extra. Larger holes require some added moisture or the membrane will dry out and get them stuck along with probably having to help the chick hatch all the way. You don't want to check eggs too soon though because like I said you may kill them opening the bator to take one out and will definitely kill at least one if you open the bator repeatedly and don't make up for the lost moisture.

 

[EmptyNesterNoMore]

Thank you both for your input. I am in full hands off mode. Tomorrow I will be purchasing a new thermometer and something to monitor the humidity (forgot the name). The thermometers I have been using are on sheets of hard plastic that came with the still air incubator and the egg turner. Perhaps I will order a candler from one of the hatcheries since I was not too successful with that aspect either, even with all the input I had on this forum. If this 1st attempt is completely unsuccessful, I am assuming it is probably important that I see how far the embryo's progressed? At the same time, I dread having to see what I did.

 

[Akane]

My first few hatches I kept a notebook and pencil by the incubator. Since I hand turned I had to check the incubator 3 times a day anyway. I wrote the temp, humidity, and any changes like adding water that I made. When an egg candled dead or after hatch was over I compared the embryos to the pics online and figured out exactly what day my chicks died. Then I had a record of what happened that day. I also had a record of subtle changes in temp that happened in my incubator throughout the day or over the several weeks. My hatch rates increased dramatically very quickly doing that.

 

[EmptyNesterNoMore]

Where can I find pictures showing embryo stages?

 

[PortageGirl]

Here's about candling:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-candling-eggs.html

is that what you meant?

 

[AHappychick]

also once you get a hydrometer (walmart has them springfield makes them I think) i would only candel on bay 10 and day 18 before lock down, and dont keep them out to long or hold them with the pointy side up or you will mess with them. I think candeling as little as possible is best but everyone has their ways. but yes your temps were probably a bit off over humidity but give them a few more days. Good Luck

 

[evonne]

aaww sorry bout the one.. but yeah... give it another day or two... i have astill air incubator, and when i went to lockdown i added some cut up carwash soinges that i wet w/ hot water.. make sure it's not cold because that brings the temp down...

the other thing, were they local eggs, your eggs, or shipped eggs?? were they a pullets first eggs??? what condition were the eggs stored in before you put them in the bator?? how old were they when they went in??

there's ssoo many things that can factor into the success of a hatch.. please don't blame yourself...

 

[sleepydream21]

I know it is disappointing, but try not to feel too bad. I am on my third try without a single hatch out of my first two attempts. First try had what you are describing, small dead embryos, I am guess temp spike midway. Second attempt (call ducks) had fully grown chicks, but membrane was white and tough as nails which told me a humidity problem at hatch time. I also had used the thermometer that came with the bator with no hygrometer. This time I got a digital therm/hygrometer combo ($7 at walmart) and so far so good but I am still 3 days from hatch on the quail and 7 days from hatch on the chickens. With all trays full of water and plugs sealed I am at 60% humidity right now and can't seem to get it any higher...I hope that is good enough.

Were they shipped eggs? All of the ones I have tried (as well as the ones in there now) were shipped and I have wondered if that is not part of my problem, though it seems most everyone else gets at least "something" to hatch from them.