New to incubation

[horsejumping]

This is my 1st batch of eggs for a class project at the school and for our families enjoyment. I incubated 5 bantam/Americana Xs (little eggs) along with 18 cochin/red/Americana Xs. Today is day 24. On day 21 all the little bantam eggs hatched, Day 23 2 of the big eggs hatched and no other movement/sound from the rest. Decided to poke a little hole to check 2 out. Attached are photos of those 2. There was no heartbeat or movement inside the egg. Forced air incubator kept steady temps and humidity along with egg turner until day 18. I sill have some eggs remaining but am thinking they are gone too. Any thoughts or suggestions? The yoke wasn't absorbed in these 2.

 

[Abirdbrain]

Most likely these two shown are 'quiters'. Eggs die when they stay out of parameters for temperature or humidity too long, or suffer from bad handling. I think the smallest 'bators are a joke, as they encourage too much handling , and far too many openings/closings to turn manually etc. Just the nature of the beast. I killed 24 duck egs on my first hatch. Only two broke shells. One I helped out did not survie past day 2. It can be frustrationg. Also 'old' eggs that are shipped or held at room temperature for more than a week, do not do well, and hatch rates plummet.

I am a novice at hatching after 4 years of chickendom. We have one hen setting 16 eggs. We are hopefull.

I am currently running I Hovabator, without turner, and 2 Brinsea Octagon, w/ turners. I am building a 'sportsman' with 4 rack shelf rocker, and top hatcher shelf. It is a copy of the bator box that seems to be popular with serious hatchers of multiple dozens, as I have 30 count egg racks for mine. Bigger usually means more stable, so thats where I am going for now. The results of 10 doz hatches will be enough for me when the big one runs. Hard to get more, easy to do less.