new here and need help, eggs chirp but then don't hatch :(

[shiloh04]

I am fairly new to raising chickens. My FIL has hatched some years ago, but he doesn't know what I'm doing wrong.

We have had three batches of eggs, all fertile, and all end up with fully formed chicks that don't hatch. The first two batches were in a home-made incubator, but this third batch is in a store-bought one that stays pretty consistent in temp and humidity. We have heard the eggs chirping, but then they never hatch. There is a decent amount of fluid in the egg when I have autopsied them, so the chicks don't seem to be getting stuck. The last incubator had tons of ventilation holes and stayed around 60% humidity. The one we bought is an LG. I have two thermometers, one of which also measures humidity. It is now at 50%. I have two eggs due in the next double days, and a couple more due later.

The eggs are from different breeds of hens, and two different roosters (possibly three, there is a feral roo that gets into our pen).

We did have one chick that I helped hatch out after he seemed to just get stuck, but he died when the temp in the brooder took a nosedive.

What am I doing wrong? I'm not too sure how many more chick deaths I can really take.

 

[bigdawg]

sounds to me like humidity to high during the first 18 days. i try for 30 to 40 percent then last three days 60 plus. your chicks are drowning when they pip the membrain. thats why they dont pip the shell. although i am no expert, just know what i have read on byc. good luck......

 

[kathyinmo]

Maybe this will help you ...
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

It sounds like maybe your humidity is too high, during the first 18 days, and they are drowning. I know that humidity is a controversial subject, and many agree that altitute plays a part in it. In my area, I have had good luck with 30 -35% during incubation, and 60 -65% during the final hatching days.

 

[shiloh04]

I thought that maybe the humidity might be too high and they were drowning or something.

Do they always chirp before hatching?

One thing I noticed on that website was something about the eggs being placed big-end up, not horizontally? I have been placing mine horizontally, but making sure the big end is a bit higher than the little end.

 

[ladeefire]

how do you control humidity in a hova-bator? It seems like that would be nearly impossible.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Not always. Sometimes I just hear the chirping after they pip. Then, I usually hear them all.

If you are manually turning the eggs, then they are on their sides. ... just like when under a hen. That's okay. Just be sure to turn them 3 or 5 times a day.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Add water to increase humidity. I use tubing, so I don't have to open the lid.

 

[flgardengirl]

Make sure your hygrometer is calibrated correctly. You may be higher than you think.

 

[Intheswamp]

Are you seeing any condensation on the inside of the windows? How long of a period of time do you hear peeps coming from the eggs?

It does seem (from most recommendations) that your humidity levels are somewhat high. Follow flgardengirl's prompt and check that your hygrometer is measuring correct.

The peeping has me wondering about something but I'll post in another thread so as not to hijack your's.

Ed

 

[Mahonri]

I had two on day 22 almost day 23 that were peeping... so I candled, pipped and helped them hatch. They were at the end of the hatch and stuck inside.

One of them popped right out and started wobbling around, the other took a few hours, both are healthy. Both came out of SMALL pullet eggs and are tiny chicks compared to the rest. I won't be using them for breeding.. may sell them as blue layers if they are pullets.