Please help me

Shandarea

In the Brooder
May 15, 2019
10
7
15
Good morning. I have searched other threads and couldn’t find the answer so I’m asking for help here. This is my third hatch and I am half way through day 22 and no hatching.
The temperature was constant on machine at 38 through the entire time and still is. the humidity was ok as well. I weighed each egg through out and they were all within the 11-13% weight loss. I started counting day 1 after 24 hours. . I have not opened incubator at all since lock down. I have humidity higher since lock down and although I cannot get it above 65% the water tray is full and I can see humidity inside.
I have had. I piping or movement at all. Please help. I’ve written everything down. My last two hatches weren’t great as I’m learning but at least I did get some. Any help will be appreciated.
 
It’s a deelat incubator made in Canada. It’s a nice machine and I have calibrated the temp and humidity. I use more than one humidistat or thermometer so I know I’m pretty close to exact.
 
Yes. I candles and weighed each egg and they all lost between 11-13% of their weights. I could see movement and what looked like healthy eggs and air sacs were the right size as well. I’m stumped. Not a single one hatching. At 9:00 tonight I start day 23. I weighed each egg and wrote weights. I’ve candles 4 times and last one was day 18 they each got candled and weighed. All is according to what is right. I’ve used this incubator before and hatched 7. It wasn’t the best hatch because I did need to open lid and I think I killed lots and only 7 survived. This time I have not opened the lid at all since lock down.
 
Have you been experiencing a steady decline in hatch rate? If so, you may wish to examine the nutrition of the parents. Have you done an eggcropsy (opened eggs) that fail to hatch on this batch of eggs? Determining what stage of development they were in when they quit developing could provide important clues to what's going wrong.
Weblink to a site with pertinent (albeit condensed) information on the subject of vitamin deficiencies. https://www.roysfarm.com/vitamins-for-laying-hens/
Link to Sumi's article on this forum on the subject of failure to hatch and stages of development. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-failure-to-hatch-diagnosing-incubation-problems.67011/
 
I started with more eggs and some weren’t fertile and some died early but I have 22 that were seemingly healthy and active till day 18 at lock down. I have hens on as natural a feed as I can get and they are outside all day in a huge yard. Happy hens. I will read what you suggest.
The first time I hatched was in a cheap crappy China one I borrowed and friend gave me eggs and I got 3 hatched. I bought a nicer one and calibrated everything. I spent weeks and many thermometers and hydrometers to find accurate ones. The next batch I got 7 and yes I did open the lid. I checked and opened all the unhatched eggs and had fully formed chicks that didn’t pip. I thought I shrink wrapped them so I never opened the lid this time.
I did better with no water for the 18 days and they lost weight better and steady. I haven’t opened eggs yet in this batch.
 
What is your normal humidity where you live? I live in the tropics (read that as high heat and high humidity, 24 hours daily, 7 days weekly, and every blasted day of the year), so I don't have to add humidity, in fact, my hatches would be better if I could figure out how to get rid of some humidity... (not gonna happen, as I'm not buying a dehumidifier). I've had better hatch rates by candling immediately prior to setting the eggs (looking for damage that the naked eye wouldn't spot), and then candling halfway through the incubation process. I don't candle again except for the VERY late (probably dead) eggs. Perhaps it's superstition, or perhaps it's just less handling, with less likelihood of me introducing some bacteria, but candling less often has been better for me. My first hatch was with a lightbulb hanging over a plastic tote. Half hatched. Goes to show what living in the tropics can do :D
 
Maybe humidity is too high and they drowned? I would wait until you crack open the eggs though..... your temp might be wrong and it's low, could be delayed hatching.
 
Thank you all who are trying to help. I read suggested readings and maybe my hens are too old. 1-3 years. I don’t think anything wrong with them health wise as eggs are nice shape and size and good shells.
The house humidity said 45% and lesson from last hatch where I had humidity at 45% they didn’t loose weight enough so I did less at about 30% and they lost the right amount.
However in lock down I cannot get it above 60% even though lid has condensation and water track is full.
I candled the day I set them and day 9,12 and then day 18. All seemed ok.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom