Lockdown & Hatching Question?

[MjChickens]

I have a homemade incubator the has three racks for incubation and the bottom for hatching. I use the egg carton method for both stages. Eggs develop and go into to lockdown but many don't hatch. I see that some people use a container for lockdown would this help many hatching rate? Or am I doing something wrong. Any advice would be great Thanks! This is my bator

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might crack your unhatched eggs and compare them to what they say in these links. Something might jump out at you as to the cause. You have observed the whole process and I have not.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/troubleshooting_incubation.pdf

Florida Incubation Troubleshooting
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

I'm not sure if you have fans in there or not. I think I see a couple, but not sure. I don't think this is your problem since they are developing in the different trays, but in a still air, the temperature varies throughout the incubator since hot air rises.

I suspect humidity could be your problem. You need higher humidity during thatch than during incubation. I suggest you pay close attention to the humidity signs in those links.

Another possibility, also humidity related, is do you open the incubator during lockdown to turn eggs in the top trays. You can release humidity doing that and sometimes cause shrink-wrapping the chicks that have pipped.

Another thing. How is your ventilation? Chicks need oxygen when developing but especially during hatching. Arethey getting enough oxygen?

There are many things that could cause a problem. Hope those links help.

 

[clairabean]

Are the unhatched fully developed? Moving internally when put in lockdown? Pipped?

You humidity tray is in the top, do you have one in the bottom?

And your bator is looks really cool.

 

[MjChickens]

Quote:
The unhatched are fully developed and moving when they go into lockdown. Some have pipped and some have not. I do not have a tray on the bottom. I was thinking that since my lockdown eggs are on the bottom and I have to open the door that maybe alot of the humidity gets out and thats what does it.

 

[MjChickens]

Quote:
Thanks for the links I will check them out. I do have two ventilation holes one on the top and one on the bottom. And I do have to move eggs around so maybe my best bet would be to build a hatcher.