Incubators Anonymous

[DMRippy]

OK, so today was hatch day. Last night I saw almost all of my 11 eggs moving around. Early this morning 3 hatched. But, since last night, I have not seen any of the eggs move at all! Did they all die at the last minute? My humidity has stayed between 58% and 68%. My last hatch was good with that humidity. So, what should I do? Do you think they are just slower? I know that at lockdown, the temp went down to 97.9 for about a day and a half until I got it back up to around 99.9. Do you think that will just delay them? Remember, they were all moving around in their eggs last night. Do I have any options other than to wait and see? Have any of you had this happen and how did it turn out? Please advise! Thanks.

The temperature drop will delay them. Don't panic and leave them be for another day or so.

 

[Overoberyl]

The temperature drop will delay them. Don't panic and leave them be for another day or so.

Yah I missed the part about it being that low for a day and a half...

 

[Overoberyl]

Yay!!! I have a Sulmtaler pipping!!!

 

[gimmie birdies]

anytime they pip and you see them breathing in an egg, it could be 24 hrs or more before they hatch. The breathing they are doing looks labored but they all breathe like that while getting used to our air.

 

[Flowerbh]

Yah I missed the part about it being that low for a day and a half...

I opened the eggs....they are all dead. 5 fully formed, ready to hatch. I am heartbroken. They were all good eggs, from great people. Not mailed. They all developed like they were suppose to until hatch day!!! What did I do wrong? I feel horrible....like a murderer! Poor little chicks. Two BLRW and one Wheaten Marans made it out, but I had to help the Marans or it would have died, too. I don't know if I will try to incubate again. Maybe I should just stick with buying hatchery chicks.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: or find someone like me, who will hatch for 'special orders'... customers provide the eggs (shipped or local) and i hatch them. $15/ dozen setting fee up front, $1.50 per chick hatched. but i don't ship chicks. sorry.

 

[Overoberyl]

I opened the eggs....they are all dead. 5 fully formed, ready to hatch. I am heartbroken. They were all good eggs, from great people. Not mailed. They all developed like they were suppose to until hatch day!!! What did I do wrong? I feel horrible....like a murderer! Poor little chicks. Two BLRW and one Wheaten Marans made it out, but I had to help the Marans or it would have died, too. I don't know if I will try to incubate again. Maybe I should just stick with buying hatchery chicks.

It happens, it's unfortunately part of hatching, sometimes you can do everything by the book and it doesn't work out. Try not to blame yourself, they surely didn't suffer, probably just went to sleep.

What was your humidity during incubation?

 

[Flowerbh]

It happens, it's unfortunately part of hatching, sometimes you can do everything by the book and it doesn't work out. Try not to blame yourself, they surely didn't suffer, probably just went to sleep.

What was your humidity during incubation?

Going back and thinking it all out, here is what I think...
1. I went into lockdown at the end of day 18. By doing that, the wells of water at the bottom of the incubator dried out that early morning (on hatch day) and the humidity went to 48% until I found it when I woke up...probably that level for about 2-3 hours. I had to use a straw and add water where the wire from the turner usually is. Humidity went back up to 68%, but I think the damage was already done???? Made the membrane and shell too tough to break thru????. and I think they suffocated. (Next time, I won't put them into lockdown until day 19.) That way the water should stay ok.
2. I have 3 different thermometers/hydometers. (They were cheep). One is built in. So, they started out all reading around the same numbers, but by lockdown, they were all over the place. The ones at the bottom would read 97.9 and the built in one would read 100.1, so I upped the built in one to 101.4 and got the two at the bottom to read around 99.8. Maybe I trusted the wrong thermometer! Does any one recommend a really good thermometer?

Can anyone give me any advice? Thanks.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
What was your humidity DURING incubation? I have a feeling it was too high and drown them when they started to hatch.

 

[Overoberyl]

What was your humidity DURING incubation? I have a feeling it was too high and drown them when they started to hatch.

That's what I am thinking also. I had this same experience several times before I finally allowed myself to incubate at 20% and since then I've had much greater success with the exception of the Campines which seem to hatch out wet no matter what I do, lol.