RaggedyAnna
Hatching
- Apr 30, 2018
- 5
- 5
- 6
I recently attempted my first hatch and would like some advice on where it all went wrong before I even think of doing it again! I bought fertile eggs from a mixed flock of hens (various breeds) and a copper maran cock and a cream legbar cock.
I collected the eggs myself freshly laid and all the hens looked happy and healthy. I selected eggs varying from light brown, dark brown, green, blue, white and cream. I set 18 eggs that day at 37.8C (100F) I transported the eggs in boxes on my lap with blunt end up, and set them on their side (automatic egg turner)
10 of the eggs never developed at all so I had 8 on lockdown when I removed the turning tray. (Only 2 green, 2 blue, 4 light brown)
My incubator has a thermometer but for humidity it just says fill one section with water for first part of incubation, then fill 2 sections with water for lockdown (which I did)
I candled the eggs probably more often than I should, day 6, day 9, day 14 and day 18. (I did it very quickly) once on lockdown I never opened incubator and maintained required water level.
3 eggs pipped and zipped easily with 3 healthy chicks. One egg pipped and beak was out for ages chirping and I left it (I had read about never to do assisting hatching) and membrane dried up and she died!
So when I saw the next one struggle and membrane was drying up I intervened. She ended up having extreme wry neck.
I moved the 3 healthy chicks to the brooder when they were all dry and I had given up on the remaining eggs.
2 days later when I went to turn off the incubator I saw that 1 had pipped and was struggling, and 1 egg had started moving but not pipped. I intervened with both and got 1 chick that turned out to have very weak legs, and 1 small but normal chick.
One egg never developed further in lockdown.
So out of 18 eggs I only had 8 on lockdown, and out of that only 4 chicks. Do you think it was humidity issues? I will get a hygromoter, but are there any other changes I need to make?
Thanks in advance, and apologies for the long rambling post!
I collected the eggs myself freshly laid and all the hens looked happy and healthy. I selected eggs varying from light brown, dark brown, green, blue, white and cream. I set 18 eggs that day at 37.8C (100F) I transported the eggs in boxes on my lap with blunt end up, and set them on their side (automatic egg turner)
10 of the eggs never developed at all so I had 8 on lockdown when I removed the turning tray. (Only 2 green, 2 blue, 4 light brown)
My incubator has a thermometer but for humidity it just says fill one section with water for first part of incubation, then fill 2 sections with water for lockdown (which I did)
I candled the eggs probably more often than I should, day 6, day 9, day 14 and day 18. (I did it very quickly) once on lockdown I never opened incubator and maintained required water level.
3 eggs pipped and zipped easily with 3 healthy chicks. One egg pipped and beak was out for ages chirping and I left it (I had read about never to do assisting hatching) and membrane dried up and she died!
So when I saw the next one struggle and membrane was drying up I intervened. She ended up having extreme wry neck.
I moved the 3 healthy chicks to the brooder when they were all dry and I had given up on the remaining eggs.
2 days later when I went to turn off the incubator I saw that 1 had pipped and was struggling, and 1 egg had started moving but not pipped. I intervened with both and got 1 chick that turned out to have very weak legs, and 1 small but normal chick.
One egg never developed further in lockdown.
So out of 18 eggs I only had 8 on lockdown, and out of that only 4 chicks. Do you think it was humidity issues? I will get a hygromoter, but are there any other changes I need to make?
Thanks in advance, and apologies for the long rambling post!
