Need HUGE Hatcholic Advice...SPECIAL EGGS TO HATCH!

[ParadisePoultry]

I'm not positive, but I think the folks who add no water at all are the ones using the styrofoam bators. That might not work with other types. I know with my Brinsea needs water in 1 well until lockdown, when I fill both.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

14 hatching is horrible!?

i lost thirty of thirty eggs, four as fully developed chicks that never pipped. talk about a bad first hatch! i really hope this hatch turns out well for you.....:

 

[La Mike]

What kind of incubator are you using would help
I cant hold up to no water I hatch chicken duck and gamebird in staggered hatches all the time and really dont want my chicks vacum packed
I use sportsman only
so maybe with others its ok but not mine
I keep a 50% all through raise a little at hatch and let id drop back when that round is done

 

[Teresaann24]

I use a LG styrofoam bator.

 

[youngbiddy]

I picked up a tip on shipped eggs yesterday; don't plug the turner in till the third day of incubation so the air cells have more time to recuperate from shipping. Keep the humidity around 30-35% till lockdown, and candle on days 10 and 18 only.
On the possible lack of sufficient oxygen, perhaps you could try taking the incubator lid off for 10 minutes once a day to simulate the hen taking a bathroom break and getting a snack.

(disclaimer: I'm on day 3 of my first hatch, all suggestions are based on exhaustive research rather than personal experience. I'm sure a more experienced member will have more insight)

 

[Munkeesmama]

I think your humidity is a bit high. I would run at 40% humidity days 1-10, 45% humidity days 10-18, and bump to 55% humidity during lockdown. The less handling the better. I candle on days 10 and 18. By day 10 you can tell the quitters, by day 18, you're looking for any bad eggs as not to screw up your hatch. I've found doing this I tend to get between 85-95% hatch rates, and even once, 100% hatch rate! For what it's worth, I don't let my eggs rest before going in the bator. I might try that next time though.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
I hatch out in an LG and I set in a separate one. This is working out great.

 

[Teresaann24]

Quote:
I hatch out in an LG and I set in a separate one. This is working out great.

what do you hatch in?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Have you looked at this.... Hatchability Problem Analysis:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

 

[adrian]

In my opinion, any time a fully grown baby simply fails to pip and hatch out, it is usually a humidity issue. And that almost always is a case of the humidity being too high. Often times they drown in their eggs. Some eggs are naturally more porous than others so they'd be able to lose more moisture than eggs that have naturally thicker shells, so that may be why some of them were fine and others weren't. I find a humidity of around 35% on a properly calibrated hygrometer is good for chickens....

Also, on the page linked to above, it states that inadequate turning may be the cause of this as well... How many times did you turn and did you do it on their sides, or in a carton? Or were they in an auto turner? In that case, are you sure the auto turner was working well and everything? Just some good questions to ask...