Poor hatch rates.....

[FlightsofFancy]

I have never been one to rant or even pout but ..... I am having horrible hatch rates after having above 90% for over a year. I changed bators...went to a Genesis with a turner. I thought this was going to be great! Another element is that all I am setting all shipped eggs. The post office tossed my last box onto the porch right in front of my eyes. Knowing all this I am still feeling horrible about hatching.

I have 5 eggs in the bator (from a shippment of 16) and feel hopeless on this hatch. It is day 20...no noise...no movement....

 

[canada-goose]

I feel so sad, all those bad hatches. I hope the hatch rates will improve for you!

 

[BackSwampGirl]

Hey Kelly,I am in NC.And i have had the same thing happen to me.But when you order eggs again,make sure that you tell the person that you order form to put your # on box and they to call u to pick them up at PO.And this will help.By the way I have some beautiful duck eggs if you would like for me to send you some.Just for S/H.I have Crested Kkaki Campbells,,Crested Rouens....And I will be glad to send you some.I cna put in mail tomorrow.And when they see my box,I don`t think they will throw it at all.Because they will be resposible.Let me know,Sandra,NC

 

[FlightsofFancy]

Well, I never!!! Two pips this morning....silly peeps just making me loose my mind....crossing fingers for a healthy hatch.

Hey Sandra.....thanks for the incrediably generous offer.....but I don't know nothin bout hatching no duckiings. lol

 

[walkswithdog]

Shipped eggs are always a gamble. I am SO glad you have pips!

After they've rested for 24 hours upright in a crate, ather than putting shipped eggs straight into the turner and letting em roll - you might try letting them incubate with the turner with it OFF, for a couple or even a few days to let them settle further, especially if you can TELL they've been badly handled. That seems to help my hatch rate.

Also with shipped eggs you can weigh or candle a few frequently enough to seriously track moisture/wt loss. Shipped eggs are often over heated in transit and lose moisture and have trouble retaining it over an incubation period, if that's the case a slightly - just slightly, higher humidity can help. And you'll know if they're significantly dry at hatch that you may have to help out. There are tables for weights and normal aircell development in the "Read me's on hatching". It's a pain but it can help some.

Good luck with the babies!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Well I thought it was just me. I went from a homemade bator with excellent hatches to a forced air Hovabator...steady temps...steady humidity throughout...and 3 out of 10 eggs hatched.

However, I did start hatching silkie eggs so I'm thinking that may be part of the lower hatch rate.

Today is day 21 for 8 eggs. I had one chick pip, zip and hatch during the night last night...and NO OTHER PIPS.

Keep us posted...I'm encourage by your pips!!

 

[walkswithdog]

Switching bators should just be simple... and it's not. You think sure, it's just another bator and I know how now and... stink hatch.

And you have to micro adjust to what you are doing, like silkies, or seramas or shipped eggs. And remember that even good bought incubators can need a bit of adjustment to meet your environment and you got your homemade to do it over time, because you HAD to tinker.

But an incubator made for EVERY environment - is one size fits all... And one size does NOT fit all, ever. It fits, some. You probably aren't the some.

You'll get it. You'll figure out if there's a need for more ventilation or if the "perfect" humidity sucks for you, or if that perfect temp is off for you by .5 from what YOUR environment needs.

Those suckers aren't perfect in every environment.

It'll come, hang in there.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Thanks for the post re: tips for shipped eggs, Walks... I've always let them sit around 8 hours but always put them right on the turner (At least since I got the Hovabator/turner). I won't do that again.

I got about $125 worth of silkie eggs in the mail yesterday. Despite the PO's best intentions, I only see one or two loose aircells...and they aren't completely broken...only loosened.

I can't put them in the bator until my hatch is completed..hopefully by tomorrow. I'll keep them cool and resting until then.

 

[mulia24]

waw, $125 for eggs?? that could be use to buy an auto turner full thermohygro and thermostat over here for more than 500 eggs.


i only get 30% rates. hope your better soon.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Yeah...it's my last big splurge...well, maybe

We're trying to hatch some nice SQ silkies and have a small flock of them. It takes a bunch of chicks to get a few really nice ones.

I sell the others as pet quality.