Peacocks Dead in Shell

[TNAuctioneer]

I have a healthy flock of peafowl. I am using a GQF incubator, with automatic turner. I monitor temp and humidity. I am having a problem with fertile eggs being dead in the shell. I have hatched guineas in this incubator this year along with the peacock eggs and am having a 95% hatch rate with the guineas. So temp and humidity must be good. Any suggestions on why one breed hatches good but peacocks are not?

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC, and sorry for your losses. What humidity are you incubating at?

 

[TNAuctioneer]

Welcome to BYC, and sorry for your losses. What humidity are you incubating at?

60%

 

[casportpony]

60%

That's kind of high. Do you know what percentage of weight the eggs are losing?

 

[casportpony]

This is what @KsKingBee wrote:

And yes to your other question, peafowl are very hard to incubate and to keep alive after they hatch. Large breeders are very happy if they get 50% hatch rate. We use 100* and 45% but your humidity settings may require some adjustment. The egg needs to lose approximately 15% of its total weight from start to finish.

 

[TNAuctioneer]

That's kind of high. Do you know what percentage of weight the eggs are losing?

no

 

[TNAuctioneer]

This is what @KsKingBee wrote:

50%? oh my that's awful low

 

[TNAuctioneer]

This is what @KsKingBee wrote:

I'm keeping it at what I have read online? that may be my problem

 

[casportpony]

50%? oh my that's awful low

I'm keeping it at what I have read online? that may be my problem

I maintain a humidity level of 40-45% for all my eggs.

 

[KsKingBee]

I have a healthy flock of peafowl. I am using a GQF incubator, with automatic turner. I monitor temp and humidity. I am having a problem with fertile eggs being dead in the shell. I have hatched guineas in this incubator this year along with the peacock eggs and am having a 95% hatch rate with the guineas. So temp and humidity must be good. Any suggestions on why one breed hatches good but peacocks are not?

Peafowl eggs can not be compared to any other egg. It seems like I can toss guinea eggs on the sidewalk and they will hatch. When you have fully developed chicks fail to hatch it is because they have not lost enough moisture in the egg. I used to bump the humidity to 60% in the hatcher but not anymore. Weigh your eggs in grams before you set them then weekly to monitor weight loss. Shoot for 15% loss by three weeks and adjust up or down for the last week. When you see pipped eggs that do not hatch or sticky chicks it means the humidity is too high.