I keep murdering my chicks!!

[mommissan]

Don't beat yourself up. I just wasted a whole bunch of eggs during lockdown because the humidity soared to 86% unchecked. I opened mine up too and found them all swimming in "ectoplasma". It's aggravating, but it's a learning experience.

 

[luvmydux]

Don't beat yourself up. I just wasted a whole bunch of eggs during lockdown because the humidity soared to 86% unchecked. I opened mine up too and found them all swimming in "ectoplasma". It's aggravating, but it's a learning experience.

Thank you for the kind words. I hate losing babies. I have some eggs to steal from my broodies and another batch in the LG due for lockdown in 7 days. Hopefully it will be a better 2 weeks!

 

[mommissan]

Soon, you shall be a "master" at hatching!

Can't wait to hear how it goes. I bought a cheap pen type thermometer/hygrometer. It really helped.... when I checked it....

 

[nurse_turtle]

Some folks add only a little bit of water at lockdown because as soon as the first chick hatches, humidity goes up on its own. I recommend a hygrometer.

 

[luvmydux]

I recommend using the hovabator at an incubator and the LG as the hatcher. I use dry incubation as well. It sounds like your doing everything right. I would get a dial type hygrometer and calibrate your thermometer. There are several threads here that describe how to do this.

I think I will use this advice, to be on the safer side for the next ones. I will swap them out as the LG takes less water over all. Here we go again!

 

[cva34]

May have been mentioned and I missed it But what about too dry incubation.If your doing it in a heated house air can be very dry.Causing super dry conditions in the Inc...Just a Thought...cva34

 

[luvmydux]

I live in Michigan and I am pretty sure there is some humidity, I just don't have added sources. My heat is not on in the house and chips go stale overnight so I am thinking it must not be too low.

 

[phoenix912]

Have you been keeping track of their aircells? On day 7 I candle and trace the airsac with a pencil. On day 14 I candle and trace around the new line of airsac. On day 18 check again then you have an idea if its where it needs to be.

 

[luvmydux]

Actually I am not familiar with what the air sac should look like but I am going to start checking that. I was reading about other poultry eggs and marking the air sac so I will do this with my chicken eggs while candling.

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

I have a heck of a time hatching as well, I've set my incubator 3 times with more then 2 dozen eggs each time and have only successfully hatched 3 eggs

Right now I have two broody hens and still have yet to have one of their eggs hatch.