Poor hatch rate

[DukesDucks]

It has been a discouraging year for hatching. Previous years I have had high hatch rates with healthy chicks and ducklings. I was doing same things this year. My temperature and humidity monitors have been calibrated and I always have 2 of each in the incubators. My temperatures and humidity levels are appropriate for the stages of development. I have had peacock, chicken, and pheasant eggs. All the eggs are from my birds or a friends so not shipped.
The eggs seem fine during the first stages but I have found multiple shrink wrapping later. I have increased humidity during the last week and this has had little effect. At lock down time, what I can candle looks good in terms of air cell. No chicks have internally pipped or made the noises I have heard in the past pre-hatch. When I have tried to assist (successful at this in the past) I see a chick moving but they never make it to hatch.
Chatting with neighbours, many of us are having the same poor hatch rates this year, some using incubators and others under females. I'm in Eastern Ontario, Canada, where we have long periods of smoky days from forest fires. The month of July was hotter and more humid than usual for this area. Could this be a factor?


Any suggestions and people experiencing the same thing

 

[Rose the Legbar]

A breeder (that I am hopefully going to get two Ameraucanas from) that lives in Washington State is also having a lot of issues right now with hatch rates. This year has been very poor for hatching according to her, she also uses an incubator. Although she has had better rates as it has gotten a bit warmer over these past months.

 

[mcdze]

ive observed alot of times shri k wrappimg and dead developed chicks tend to be associated with 3 things, layers not in their prime too old or more often too young, how the eggs are handled before incubation, and fresh air exchange in the bator .. i dont have it all worked out, but just hatched 38 of 48 eggs .. had 4 dead in the shell, ALL 4 were from a friend at work with young females and the eggs were of course moved about and sat for 10 or so days .. none of the eggs from my chickens died, theyre mature over a year and sat no more than 3 days in a stable place ..

 

[DukesDucks]

I appreciate your thoughts. What has been strange about my situation is that there are a number of neighbours all experiencing the same results. So there has been a wide variety of types of birds, ages of birds, and incubation methods.

 

[16 and me]

I appreciate your thoughts. What has been strange about my situation is that there are a number of neighbours all experiencing the same results. So there has been a wide variety of types of birds, ages of birds, and incubation methods.

Faced a very poor hatch rate as well this year, skilled broodies, fresh eggs, virile rooster. Ended up buying day old chicks to slip under my hen.

 

[HeritageFan]

There have been a lot of theories tossed about on the forums over the summer....
But I’ll not worry about that just yet.
- how old are the hens?
- what breed/ variety are they?
- what are they eating (food, treats, grit, calcium access, anything else?)
- anything else going on w your flock?
—- funny poops, anyone off their feed, soft shells, mites/ lice....anything weird?