My First Try at Hatching

[amferro103]

Just tried hatching for the first time. I think Im hooked. Really hooked!
Wish i had found this site long ago
I would appreciate any help that i can get.
Anyway i set 34 assorted eggs in a 1588 genesis incubator w/turner and followed the instructions. Out of the 34 eggs only 18 hatched.
2 late on day 20,13 on day 21 and 3 0n day 22.
Out of the 18, one had a deformed leg. It sticks out to the side, the rest are all ok.
Checked the temperature with an old fashion human mercury thermometer
on day 12 and it read 100.4?
Does this temp sound right?
I would like to set another batch but i would like to figure out why my hatch
rate was so low and i am worried that maybe the deformed leg was caused by to high a heat?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike

 

[Calebs Acre]

Mike:

There are a few questions most of us will want to know:

1. Were all of the eggs chicken eggs?
2. Were they all from your hens? Were any of them shipped to you?
3. What was your humidity during incubation and then at hatching?
4. Did you keep track of your temperature every day? Did it remain steady? Did you keep it at 100.3 during hatching?
5. Did you stop turning the eggs prior to hatching?
6. How old were the eggs you put in the incubator?

With this information, most of the members here can give you information on how to improve your hatch results. I don't know what causes deformities, but I figured I'd ask the questions so you could work on them until more people see your thread.

 

[amferro103]

Caleb's Acre,

Thanks for all the questions and help.
They were all chicken eggs. I purchased them from McMurray.
They arrived around noon on a friday via ups. I took them home from work,
about a 45 minute drive, kept them cool.Opened the box at about 6:30 pm
and let them set out until 10:00 pm when i set them into the incubator.
The incubator was up and running.
At the time i did not have a hygrometer to check the incubators humidity so
I followed the instructions that came with the incubator regarding
humidity. Filling one trough till day 18 and then both troughs after that.
I also removed the turner at the end of day 18.
The average humidity outside the incubator was 51% to 53% and the average room temperature was 66 degrees at night and 73 degrees during the day.
Incubator temperature stayed constant until the end of day 15 when it increased to 100.8 and stayed there until day 21.
I had the incubator set in my living room against a wall.
I hope this info sheds some light on what i may have done.
Thanks again
Mike

 

[Riocotesei]

Ah I bet I know a reason...
Since they were shipped, the eggs could have gotten scrambled, or the air cells got messed up. So that could be a reason for the hatch rate.
Did you candle your eggs at all through out the incubation?
Just for giggles I'll tell you what I kept my humidity at for my incubator.
day 1-18 I have it at 45-50%
day 18 to hatch I get it to 60-65% when chicks start to hatch it goes up to 70% and I think thats o.k.
If you live close to a wal mart there is a nifty little temp/hydrometer combo that is about $6. Mine work very well and I trust 'em.
I don't think your temperature as too high I've had temp spikes to 102*F and I still get high hatch rates.

Edited for late night spell check...

 

[ridder]

We hatch out hundreds of ducks and chickens and it sounds like you are doing everything correctly. I agree with the other poster that shipped eggs can be a problem. The only other thing that we do differently is when they are put into the hatcher, we do not fill the little reservior with water, we use either 1 or 2 small jars full of water that we set into the hatcher. This way you don't have to open the hatcher so often. Also when you open the incubator or hatcher for any reason, mist the eggs with a spray bottle filled with warm water. The humidity really falls each time you open either, and try to open as little as possible. hope this helps.

Added: the deformed leg is because the chick was in the egg too long. We have also had this.

 

[Riocotesei]

Quote:
I agree, I forgot to mention that earlier, but thats what I was going to say. I'm so absent minded!