Ideas Needed- so devastated

[BarnGoddess01]

I had the same problem with my hatch Easter weekend. I incubated with humidity as recommended by my Hovabator Genesis but ended up with a bunch of fully formed chicks from my own eggs (brown) that didn't pip (9). Green/blue eggs hatched just fine (9) as did my all my shipped eggs (14).

 

[halo]

I would think that whatever you have measuring your humidity is off.

 

[Threecritters]

Quote:
While possible, I have a digital hygrometer as well as a cheapy stick to the wall hygrometer in there and they agree within a couple percentage points...

ETA- if by some chance they are both off, what would have been the issue (low, high?)?

 

[Threecritters]

Quote:
I guess it could be the eggs...the guy I picked them up from is hatching at 80% from the same roos/hens out of 150+ eggs (he hatches a little larger scale than me!

). The only thing that could be different is that these were about 2 days old before going in the 'bator when I picked them up. It's a short 15 minute drive so

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
While possible, I have a digital hygrometer as well as a cheapy stick to the wall hygrometer in there and they agree within a couple percentage points...

Did that. And the values were in line with what the paperwork that came with the incubator said they should be. In my case, it was one specific type of egg that didn't hatch - light brown. (Those hens live with the blue/green egg layers and the same roos.)

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I guess it could be the eggs...the guy I picked them up from is hatching at 80% from the same roos/hens out of 150+ eggs (he hatches a little larger scale than me!

). The only thing that could be different is that these were about 2 days old before going in the 'bator when I picked them up. It's a short 15 minute drive so

Light brown eggs were aged, stored, and handled exactly the same as the blue/green eggs. Hens, however, are one year older.

 

[halo]

I assume you calibrated your hygrometers? When I used to use hygrometers, they were often off by 10 points or more. If you opened the eggs and they were sticky, I would think your hygrometers are reading too low.

 

[Threecritters]

Quote:
The digital one is pre-calibrated and it's brand new. The other one is just one of those stick to the wall ones that's a thermometer/hygrometer combo made for terrariums...not sure that one can be calibrated (?). I can try upping my humidity...would I up it during the whole incubation or just during lockdown? I'm so afraid of having it too high and drowning them! I have naturally VERY low humidity according to the hygrometers when the bator isn't in use- like 15-20% tops.

 

[RachaelS]

Another thought I came across was that brow eggs need less humidity then other eggs on my final and good hatch I had brow eggs at 35-40 percent during the first 18 days then bumped to 70 for lockdown worked great. But with the set before did the same thing and only 6/36 so who knows

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I believe my humidity was on the high side throughout which is opposite of the OP of this thread. I opened my eggs and found fully formed chicks that hadn't attempted to pip. I was struck by the size of the chicks - BIG - they filled the egg. To my eyes, there didn't seem to be room for much else but chick. This was my first hatch. I honestly couldn't say whether they were "shrink wrapped" or "sticky" or "drowned". I'm still trying to learn about those terms. Not sure if it's relevant or not but my hatch started in earnest on day 19 (I barely got the eggs out of the turner) and was all but completed on day 20 which suggests a hot incubator, I believe.