incubator chick hatch rate

[whisperinghopef]

I am having around a 30% or less hatch rate in my incubator - genesis hovabator 1588 forced air. I have 2 genesis incubators - 1 has an egg turner so I put the eggs in that one for 18 days and then I switch the eggs to the other one for hatching. Both are almost exactly the same tempature and humidity. I am constantly putting eggs in about every other day. I have a coop with RIR's in and those are the fertilized eggs I put in. I keep them both clean. Why isn't my hatch rate any higher? Anyone have any ideas? When you put the eggs in the egg turner does it matter which end go down on the egg?

 

[sumi]

You need to place the eggs pointy end down, so the air cell's on top. I heard that manually turning the eggs, i.e. by hand, instead of using a turner gets you better hatch rates. I haven't tried it myself, but give it a try?

 

[whisperinghopef]

Thanks. I will do pointy end down and see if that helps. If it doesn't then I will hand turn them myself but really don't want to! That is a good question you raised - Do people get a better hatch rate without the egg turner? Be interesting to find out.

Some of the eggs in my incubator that don't hatch just don't hatch others (2 out of the 3) that were supposed to hatch 2 days ago were totally formed and had cracked through the shell a little and both died before they finished cracking out. A true shame to see 2 out of the 3 eggs totally formed, started to hatch out and then just died. The humidity stays around 65 - 70 with lots of water in there. Just irrates me to no end when that happens!

 

[sumi]

Have a look at this article:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

SS collected some very interesting and important information and put it all in there. Maybe it'll help you figure out what's going wrong with your hatches.

 

[whisperinghopef]

Thanks for the thread info. I feel sooo bad. Yes I did figure out what was wrong. I thought you had to keep the humidity very high the entire time. I just feel awful. I have been drowning the formed chicks as they are trying to hatch out. I haven't been having the humidity low to dry out the water inside the shell. That is why I have been having the chicks form and die as they are trying to hatch out. It has been happening all the time. It is too late to save the 15 eggs that are on day 18 today. Boy these animals sure have a high learning curve. I am so thankful for this chicken forum. I feel so bad that I have been drowning all of these chicks that I feel like crying. I had no idea that you weren't supposed to keep the humidity very high all the time. I just went and sucked out a lot of water.

 

[jwilson48]

your humidity can be a big part of it for sure. i would say the biggest thing though is not putting the small end of the egg down in the turner. the air sack is on the other side so they are trying to peck their way out through the fluid instead of the air. that is how they are drowning. good luck next time. never hatched any myself but i have researched this topic for hours and just started 20 eggs myself last night. can't wait!!!!

 

[whisperinghopef]

Good luck on your eggs! It is so much fun hatching the chicks out. Kind of like when we have baby bunnies born along with new sheep and piglets! You can get real addicted to hatching out chicks and you will find every fertilized egg on your property and stick it in the incubator!

 

[cmfarm]

Since you had high humidity throughout the whole hatch you may try taking all water out until you see the first pip. This will dry them down a bit and give them a better chance. Then when you see the first pip you can add some what.