My egs wont hatch!!!

[Chicklove101]

Hi I have a Hovabator model 1602N still air incubator and it hasn't hatch but two chicks every thing is srt fine I keep putting water in and is set to 99.5 and my aunt has the same one but forced air and digital and I was wondering if the forced air had any thing to do with it?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You say you keep adding water - but what is the actual humidity level being maintained at within the incubator? How many egg have you attempted to hatch using this to get your two successful hatched eggs in how many settings? Where are you obtaining your eggs to hatch (shipped or not) and are you certain you are putting viable/hatchable eggs in? What is your routine/process that you are using from start to finish? It may have nothing to do with the difference in machines and more to do with some step in your process that is differing from your aunt's which could be at any number of steps...but I did find this here on the site and it does mention that there should be a temperature difference depending on forced air or not - and it would seem your temperature is a bit low based on this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-just-21-days-from-egg-to-chicken

 

[Chicklove101]

well I get them from my quail and chickens from outside I know there fertile because I see the roosters breeding with the hens also I keep them in the laundry rom it has a automatic turner and I have a temp. reader but how would you check the humidity?

 

[TwoCrows]

I would follow the link that Ol Grey Mare has provided on how to incubate and hatch eggs. This article will tell you all you need to know.

As for humidity...you will need to get a hydrometer to tell what the humidity actually is. You can get these in brooding chickens catalogs on line.

If you are using a still air incubator, you want your temp to be up somewhere near 100.5 to 101.0 Forced air temps are 99.5 to 99.8 Still air is a bit higher since there will be hot and cool spots.

If you can't gauge you humidity, then you are shooting in the dark. You really need to know what your humidity is, especially at lock down.

Oh, and welcome to BYC!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your eggs, you've gotten some good advice above. There are quite a few places where the problems you are having could be coming from and you need to eliminate/ check them one by one. Here is another article from the Learning Center on hatching that goes into detail about pretty much every step, especially about humidity and checking it etc https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[Chicklove101]

Thanks for the invites and the advice everyboby

 

[gander007]

Humidity is very important just as important as The temp and you might want
to check into getting a digital for booth and just watch the difference between
digital and a regular old thermometer

Another thing when was the last time you cleaned out your incubator ..

 

[Chicklove101]

every time I put new eggs in I clean it thoroughly

 

[drumstick diva]

Your rooster may be breeding them but, maybe he is "shooting blanks," some of the time. What is your ratio of hens to rooster. How old is her? Do you candle your eggs? You may want to crack a couple eggs to see if they are indeed fertilized. You should see a bullyseye on the yolk, if they are fertile. How old is your rooster?

 

[wolftracks]

Your rooster may be breeding them but, maybe he is "shooting blanks," some of the time. What is your ratio of hens to rooster. How old is her? Do you candle your eggs? You may want to crack a couple eggs to see if they are indeed fertilized. You should see a bullyseye on the yolk, if they are fertile. How old is your rooster?

Good post.

If you know for sure that they are fertile, then it's probably humidity. There can be to much also. I have fertility problems in a few of my pens. Not that they aren't fertile birds, but they have fluffy butts. I trim the feathers away from the vents and ferlity isn't a problem after that.