PLEASE HELP!!!! Day 26 and only one chick hatched out of 40

[countrygirl911]

ty so much for your help is it better to have an egg turner for the process or to turn them by hand

 

[bargain]

If you can find a good working egg turner that's great. If you do turn by hand, turn odd number of times a day - I usually go for say 5 if at all possible. Turn with extra clean hands and of course mark those eggs so you'll know you made a full turn. Best of wishes and have a blessed day. Nancy

 

[nwfl]

I use my lg only for hatching now. It still drives me crazy. But, i am used to it now. And, I still use 3 thermometers but I have had good smaller hatches. I hatch only 5-12 at a time in this thing. Im sorry for your loss.

 

[blaundee]

Quote:
This took nearly 100 eggs for me to figure out!!! But after keeping it at 102 at the top of the eggs and opening the top 3 times a day (just picking it up and closing again) I'm finally getting eggs TO lockdown alive!

eta- I am hoping to get a Brinsea this year, and use the LG as a hatcher.

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Quote:
THANK YOU!!!! Reading this might have saved my eggs! I put them in the bator 24 hours ago at 99 degrees, and had no idea still air would require higher heat. Hopefully, it will be okay to now slowly move up the temp and keep it up.

 

[countrygirl911]

thank you guys for all the help how long should i wait to candle the eggs i just did at 48 hrs for 3 that i am testing and i did not see anything except for a small dark spot but that could be from the egg its self because it is a brown egg and spekled with darker brown

 

[RareBreedFancier]

That is waaaaay to early to candle. Most people on here will tell you to wait until at least day 10.

 

[countrygirl911]

oh i know i am just ready to know if the roo is liking the new chickens i have hatched before and my cousin is fixing to pay me to hatch some for her since all of her 40 eggs did not make it except for one i am trying to see if these are fertile so i know if to include them in my cousins batch or not i know if i start to see something then i know it is ok to use these eggs from our new chickens that have been laying for about 3 weeks now the roo has his favorite hens so i am hoping he is getting to all the hens i have 17 hens and 1 roo i figure i will wait til like day five and see if i can see veins forming

 

[Highlander]

You cannot tell a fertile from an infertile egg by candling. The only way to tell is to open it and check for the bullseye. This thread shows you what to look for. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[magicpigeon]

I would wait til day 25. Of course, I go by broody hen, and by the time the hen's off the eggs are usually hatched or duds