Incubating and Hatching chicks with this incubator, low hatch rates, need advice

[rascal66]

So I opened up several eggs to get an idea of why the remaining 20 eggs didn't hatch.
I'll leave them as attachments since they are sorta graphic.

So majority looks like they died pretty late... I'm guessing at around days 16-hatch but I'm no expert. And one of my regular sized eggs had twins!!! I thought that was crazy. They were small and looks like they also died earlier on maybe? Anyone want to shed some light on these observations? I also had about maybe 2 or so eggs that were infertile. But every other egg seemed to have something growing in it.

 

[rascal66]

Oh! I forgot to mention. This is also some extra detail, but I've been trying to experiment with the whole "to wash eggs or not". Of the 8 that successfully hatched, I wanna say maybe 3 of them were from washed eggs. Of course, this was a bad hatch to begin with but I wanted to try my luck with that. I never had the greatest hatch rates before, my best being the first hatch of this year, so maybe I should figure out how to increase my hatch rate before experimenting more on the whole egg wash stuff. Maybe washing them was why I had a bad hatch rate. I didn't wash them all, only about 8 or so of the 30.

 

[rascal66]

My new incubator is doing the same thing... holds temps GREAT but having issues getting it to hold humidity levels

What kind of incubator do you have? A similar yellow topped chinese one? Ive read that you can soak paper towels or sponges and use those as maybe a better source of humidity, but also just make sure that maybe there aren't too many vents or such to release too much humidity?

 

[Ms Biddy]

Oh! I forgot to mention. This is also some extra detail, but I've been trying to experiment with the whole "to wash eggs or not". Of the 8 that successfully hatched, I wanna say maybe 3 of them were from washed eggs. Of course, this was a bad hatch to begin with but I wanted to try my luck with that. I never had the greatest hatch rates before, my best being the first hatch of this year, so maybe I should figure out how to increase my hatch rate before experimenting more on the whole egg wash stuff. Maybe washing them was why I had a bad hatch rate. I didn't wash them all, only about 8 or so of the 30.

So you are saying 3 out of 8 washed eggs hatched and 5 out of 22 unwashed eggs hatched? It isn't a good hatch rate for either, but percentage wise, more of the washed eggs hatched.

 

[rascal66]

So you are saying 3 out of 8 washed eggs hatched and 5 out of 22 unwashed eggs hatched? It isn't a good hatch rate for either, but percentage wise, more of the washed eggs hatched.

Sorry if that sounded all over the place but I believe you have it right.

I had two pip but die because either they got suffocated by the yolk leaking on their beaks or just got sticky and too weak by the time I came to help it. I don't remember paying attention to see if they came from washed eggs or not, oops. (I helped wash the sticky chick and fluff him up but it died later that night. I had helped a sticky chick before who is currently live and well. I guess I can't save them all)

Since things are nice and drying up outside, the eggs have been much cleaner. I am currently gathering more eggs for the next round. I'm hoping I don't even have to worry about washing them this time. I just want the babies to hatch!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Anyone want to shed some light on these observations

My favorite hatching resource..
https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf

Since I'm not familiar with the daily embryonic development, I decided to look it up (okay, question your accuracy . It's not you, it's me I promise. ) Anyways, this is what I found...
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1459/embryonic-development-day-by-day/

My suggestion... yes I have the yellow top but mine is double decker 96 eggs I think... insulate the outer plastic walls a bit extra, and be sure to move the eggs to a new location daily. Using this one side by side with my other bators, same eggs and methods... my hatch is reduced by at least 50%. Maybe I will test this one as a hatcher instead of incubator... I considered selling it.. but morally have issues pushing garbage onto others. Or maybe I will frankenbator it one day.

Vents allow for oxygen flow... get your humidity right without blocking them. I use small containers (even pill bottles) set in between the center of the turner and fill as needed... adding more or fatter containers if I need more humidity or taking a container out one of I need less. Adding water to individual containers before they dry out keeps it stable. For me sponges spike the humidity and dry rapidly. I only use them during hatch to raise humidity if needed.

Hang in there... I KNOW how much this bator decreased my hatch rates. But with some tweaking may be able to get it on track.

 

[rascal66]

My favorite hatching resource..
https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf

Since I'm not familiar with the daily embryonic development, I decided to look it up (okay, question your accuracy . It's not you, it's me I promise. ) Anyways, this is what I found...
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1459/embryonic-development-day-by-day/

My suggestion... yes I have the yellow top but mine is double decker 96 eggs I think... insulate the outer plastic walls a bit extra, and be sure to move the eggs to a new location daily. Using this one side by side with my other bators, same eggs and methods... my hatch is reduced by at least 50%. Maybe I will test this one as a hatcher instead of incubator... I considered selling it.. but morally have issues pushing garbage onto others. Or maybe I will frankenbator it one day.

Vents allow for oxygen flow... get your humidity right without blocking them. I use small containers (even pill bottles) set in between the center of the turner and fill as needed... adding more or fatter containers if I need more humidity or taking a container out one of I need less. Adding water to individual containers before they dry out keeps it stable. For me sponges spike the humidity and dry rapidly. I only use them during hatch to raise humidity if needed.

Hang in there... I KNOW how much this bator decreased my hatch rates. But with some tweaking may be able to get it on track.

Ooooh thank you so much for these links! Yea, definitely looks like they mostly died near hatch day... Which is very unfortunate. I know might know why too. I had the eggs set perhaps a little too much in the center underneath the heating fan and element. Must be my issue there. But still, I'll need to focus on managing temps better and even see how accurate they are.

So, when you say move the eggs daily, you mean swap from where they are settled at? Every day?

I use a towel to help keep the temps good but I want to ... Maybe wrap it differently to allow more ventilation (since usually the towel covers the top vents)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So, when you say move the eggs daily, you mean swap from where they are settled at? Every day?

I mean to a new spot in the turner... like outside edge toward the middle, or top toward middle then bottom to top and so on... so it all kinda rotates through. I don't change their actual turning angle. They just set back into an empty hole at the same angle. I do it every day or every other day.

 

[rascal66]

I mean to a new spot in the turner... like outside edge toward the middle, or top toward middle then bottom to top and so on... so it all kinda rotates through. I don't change their actual turning angle. They just set back into an empty hole at the same angle. I do it every day or every other day.

Gotcha, thinking I'll be giving that a try as well. I haven't been able to test the humidity or actual temp yet (lacking the equipment!) But because I had almost 2/3 ratio at one point, I feel like the bator is doing okay for now.