I think it's my fault they aren't hatching well.......

[lockedhearts]

I am convinced that somehow I am screwing up my hatches. I think I need to invest in better thermometers and hygrometers. I calibrated the 3 I had and only one was worth a poot. One reads 16% constantly, the other reads 63% all the time. I have changed the batteries and everything. So in my hatcher I used my Hygrometer set up that came with the bator (the 2 bulb thermometers, one with the sock) It seems to be fairly accurate but I am sure it is still a problem.
This is so so frustrating

Out of the eggs i got from Speckledhen I have 2 that hatched out of 10 that were all good when I put them in. Now Day 22 and I will almost bet I get nothing else. I have 3 Phoenix eggs from my birds, one hatched yesterday Day 19, the others, nothing yet.
One of my BR chicks has leg issues, I am also betting probably caused by humidity/temp in the hatcher.

I have all my eggs from Terry in the bator and I want a good hatch, I have 30 eggs in there, I sure as heck would like to end up with more than 2 or 3 chicks.
I should have had more Favorelles from Mike , at least I got 5, but all were fine and moving when they went to the hatcher

Someone please give me some wisdom.... I have opened some eggs, all chicks developed, yolks absorbed or mostly, but a good amount of liquid in egg. Looks like they quit the last day or two un

I am willing to pay good money for a thermometer and hygrometer that will work. It has got to be cheaper than losing chicks.

 

[swtangel321]

awwww, don't beat yourself up over this !!!!! I use a hum gauge from walmart myself (not sure how great it is) as long as your hum and temp were good day 1-18 and you up it on day 18 (or use a hatcher) you should be ok, dont forget that shipped eggs have a much lower hatch rate for different reasons.... Hope you get more babies and dont give up on them yet !!!! If your temps went up or down at all that could delay them also !!!!

 

[needmorechickens!]

:aww

Well, I am so sorry that things are not going well. I have some bantam BBS orp eggs that I am pretty sure only 2 out of 12 are developing...I am pretty sure it is due to the shipping, because the air cells did not look right when I got them, even though the seller had them nicely packed...

I hope you can figure things out...just think, you will learn a lot and then you will be hatching everything!

Don't give up!

~Rebecca

 

[SGM]

Your so not alone. I have eggs on 19 today and have been moved to the hatcher. I have nearly all water on the glass, not sure what to do to remove it since its homemade short of taking off the top and wiping it. I don't want it to drip on the eggs.

I hope your eggs hatch. Good luck!

 

[klf73]

I was having the same problem until I started not putting water in until day 18. I was having a lot of fluid in the eggs and very wet chicks. What is your humidity day 1-18? and day 19-21? Also, if you have a probe, only the unit measure humidity, not the probe, I make that mistake once

.

SGM- if you have water on the glass then your humidity is VERY high, I would remove some water so not to drown the chicks.

Krista

 

[lockedhearts]

I have a bator and a hatcher . Bator is Circulated with auto turner temp stays steady 99.5 and humidity stays 45-52%
The hatcher is still air, temp holds good 100-101 humidity according to the digital that stinks 63%, it also read that sitting in my house, and read like 40 when I calibrated. According to the wet bulb it is about 65-68%

 

[klf73]

That is what I had for humidity before trying it this way. I now keep my humidity in the 30's until day 18/19 then put it up to the 50's. It naturally goes to high 60's low 70's when hatching starts. You should try it with some of your own eggs to see if it might work for you. It definitely improved my hatch rate. Good luck

Krista

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Don't add any water to your bator unless the humidity drops into the upper 20's. Then add some and wait until the humidity drops into the upper 20's again. Trying to keep the humidity at an exact level is nearly impossible in most bators.

Wait until your first egg pips to increase your humidity. Then add enough water to bring it up to the 60's. If you have water on the glass, the humidity is too high.

I've gotten so I don't worry about the humidity except as outlined above and have done much better. Of course, if you are hatching shipped eggs...good luck! I think there are just so many things that happen to them that even if the heat and humidity is PERFECT...you'll still not have great hatches.

I just hatched 5 babies from my own eggs...100% hatch. And I didn't do anything different with the heat/humidity as I did with shipped eggs. My last shipped eggs hatch percentage was about 25%.

Take the batteries out of your hygrometer/thermometer for a few hours and then reinsert. Sometimes mine starts acting up and I have to pull it from the bator overnight and let it dry out. Then it works fine again.

 

[lockedhearts]

I have changed batteries in them, taken them out re-inserted. I honestly think all 3 of the Accurites I bought are not worth a darn. The one calibrated at 5% off and I use that in my bator. I even put one in my shower on the shelf ( I take very hot steamy showers) and it still registered 16%, so that one is crap.
I am thinking about ordering one from Radio Shack.

 

[MagsC]

I understand the frustration.