Inconsistent Hatching Days

[Florida Backyard Chickens]

During my last hatch and hopefully this one, as well, my chicks hatching days have been very spread out. My last hatch the first one hatched on day 20 and the last one hatched on day 25!! Healthy and happy. Thankfully I had been busy and not gotten around to cleaning out the incubator. We ended up hatch about 19 out of 24, all healthy and survived. This go around we’re on day 23, 2 hatched on day 21, 3 hatched on day 22 and a few more have pipped out 28 I’m really hoping we have a lot of stragglers, but any idea why it would take so long for some to hatch? All the eggs are within a few days old when they in the incubator. They’re all darker eggs, so it’s hard to tell a lot when candling but I was able to see development and veins and air sac and cull a couple that weren’t progressing…Help please!

 

[Mvan42]

What kind of incubator do u have? Forced air or still air?

Do you have a or more than one calibrated thermometer/hygrometer?

 

[Florida Backyard Chickens]

What kind of incubator do u have? Forced air or still air?

Do you have a or more than one calibrated thermometer/hygrometer?

I have a farm innovators incubator. I only have the built in thermometer and hydrometer. I have thought I should get additional ones to put in there. It’s a fairly new incubator, so disappointed if that’s the case.

 

[Mvan42]

Yea the build in one's are normally not real accurate. That said the temperature was probably not high enough since some were hatching so late.

I have the same one (forced air) and it seems after hatching many times in it it also depends on where the eggs are located in the incubator. Even with forced air I have had some hatch up to day 24. I am now trying to decide on a different incubator because I feel mine isn't the best for hatching.

 

[Florida Backyard Chickens]

Yea the build in one's are normally not real accurate. That said the temperature was probably not high enough since some were hatching so late.

I have the same one (forced air) and it seems after hatching many times in it it also depends on where the eggs are located in the incubator. Even with forced air I have had some hatch up to day 24. I am now trying to decide on a different incubator because I feel mine isn't the best for hatching.

Ugh! That’s disappointing. Let me know what you decide to go with on your next incubator. More will continue to hatch.