Really bad hatch questions

[ausash]

I have hatched out two batches of eggs so far this spring and both have been horrible. The first hatch I did there were 15 eggs and they were under a broody hen and only 5 of them developed, one died before birth. None of the other eggs even started to develop. The second hatch was a batch of 13 eggs in my incubator and only two of the eggs hatched and none of the others developed at all. I have been hatching eggs for years both with a broody and with the incubator and have never had such a problem before and they have always been shipped eggs. Could I be doing something wrong? The humidity and temperature are right where they need to be and I just can't seem to think what would be the problem. Any ideas would be very welcome.

 

[walkswithdog]

In order to troubleshoot there has to be a lot more information. Incubator, still air or circulated, shipped eggs or your own? What are you disinfecting with? All the parts? What's your temp range. Your humidity practice?

If they're your eggs either your birds are too fluffy or they're aging. Have you broken a sample group to check fertility?

If they're shipped - shipped eggs can go like that for a multitude of reasons, parentage, fertility, shipping - heat and cold and handling all factors.

I'd freak out if most of my own eggs didn't at least start.

Shipped eggs are always a gamble. Back to back failures not uncommon.

If you've been doing this a long time. It could be a new bacteria you didn't get cleaned out from shipped eggs. It could be shipping. It could be fertility.

Is your water source clean? Are you sure? Try using bottled for the water for a hatch after thoroughly disinfecting again.

So many variables in hatching - one shot diagnosis is impossible.

Re-checking your temp accuracy and accuracy of your hygrometer is worth the small effort.

Those are some of the ones I can think of offhand.

 

[ausash]

I am using a LG still air incubator which I clean with dishwashing liquid and then bleach after each use and I do the bottom and the wire mesh each time and then let sun dry.

I keep the temps between 99.5-102, they go down a little at night and sometimes in the heat of day go up to close to 102. Mostly they stay in the 101 range with slight flucuations in the day and night temps. The humidity I keep in the 50% range during first 18 days then raise it up to around 65 - 70%.

They are shipped eggs from states that are fairly close to where I live so the temps are about the same.

We recently had our water tested by the health department due to a contaminated well and they state that everything is good and healthy.

The first batch of eggs I hatched this season though was under a broody hen so I had no control over temperature or humidity and there was no instance of incubator contamination or water contamination due to she was out in nature.

 

[I LOVE COCHINS]

Quote:
They eggs that didn't develope at all probably weren't fertile to begin with. So no matter what you did while incubating them they wouldn't have hatched anyways. To me it sounds like your doing everything right.

I just had a sad hatch too, out of 24 eggs I only had 4 develope and 4 hatched. When I checked the other eggs they wern't fertile!

Good luck with future hatches

 

[chickbird]

BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR EGGS UNDER HEN OR IN INCUBATOR, CANDLE TO SEE IF THE ARE FERTILE, IF NOT THEY WILL NOT HATCH.

 

[~Kuromametchi~]

You can't really tell if there fertile before putting them in the bator its just a hit and miss thing

i usually just crack one eggs open and if its fertile the next 5 are usually fertile too.