Problems with hatch

[DALBERT]

I am pretty new to raising chickens. Last year I orderd chicks from the local feed store and For the first time incubated eggs 22 days ago.

We got 21 eggs of wich 19 where fertile. We candled on day 16 and 14 where alive and moving. When hatch day came(yesterday) only 4 hatched. 2 pipped but stoped after that. Does any one know what could have caused this. I have a still air incubator. the teprature was 101 and humidty was about 55% untill day 18 raised to about 70%. We thought we did everything correct but obviosly did not. Any ideas for next time?

 

[Farm Frenzy]

The humidity needed to be jacked up higher than 55% the last three days. What has worked good for me is about 70% to 75% even. It took me a couple of miserable hatches to learn what worked good for me, but that was it, now I'm getting 100%. I usually keep the humidity around 35-40% the first 18 days then jack it up the last three. Don't worry, you'll get it. What happened was the babies probably got too sticky and couldn't turn to pip. It sucks, but it's all a learning process. Just try a higher humidity next time and you'll do just fine.

 

[DALBERT]

Thank you for your help. Do I need to lower the humidity the first 18 days? I had it at about 55% which is what my book told me but from reading on here sounds high.

 

[lilbreeches]

you should leave the other in the bator until day 24 at least. sometimes you will have late hatchers. sounds like your humidity was on target and temp too. not sure what causes them to pip and then die. did you open your bator at all during hatch?

 

[lilbreeches]

oh and by the way

 

[DALBERT]

Yes...To remove the first 4 after hatch

 

[lilbreeches]

you shouldn't remove the top until after the end of hatch. this lets much needed moist warm air out and and lets cool dry air in. that may be what happened. it let your humidity drop to the point the babies stuck to the inside of the shell and couldn't turn to pip. sorry for your loss. don't give up. it takes alot of trial and error to get it right just for you. you can do it!

 

[Farm Frenzy]

I don't know where you're from, but I live in Florida, and the humidity is really high here. I do the dry incubation and it works really well FOR ME. But mine usually stays around 30-40% naturally. Then I jack it up to about 70-75% the last 3 days.

 

[hoppy]

welcome, I'm from maine too. here is what I find with our weather.
this time of yr, I have to add water to incubator, later in the summer, I puy in NO water as it's too humid here and I have to open all the vents to get the humidy down so they don't drown.
also I find, don't help them hatch, it just results in heartache. they need that pushing against the egg to get their feet exercised. if they don't make it out, it was not ment to be. learned that the hard way with guineas.