Should I alter hatching technique?

[mrslb333]

Well I have 10 eggs on day 20 in my lock down incubator humidity 75 temp 100 so far no movements. My previous hatch a few days ago ended in 14 Button quail dead either in shells or after pipping or in a few cases being majorly deformed, 2 pekins both dead in shells 2 silkie one alive and doing well the other died in shell. Out of around 100 eggs I have 7 hatched alive one of the eggs was a twin egg.
I switched to a new incubator about 10 days ago to see if it would help.
I went to candle the other eggs I have in another incubator with the auto turner turned on, temp 100 humidity 40, pulled one from the back only to feel a head popping out, turns out i'd miscounted how many needed to be taken out to go on lock down

This little one a Cochin is now out of it's shell cheeping away strong as ever, the yolks not fully absorbed but it's wrapped in a bit of cling film to help it keep moist and it's gradually going in so I'm not too concerned.
I'm now thinking maybe i'd have better luck just keeping the eggs due to hatch on the bottom shelf and turn the auto turner off on that one.

I think the next batch I'll put half in each and see which one gets a higher hatch rate.
Any thoughts?

 

[MuranoFarms]

I need a little more information:
Is this forced air? The temp should be 99.5 slightly higher or lower can cause deformity. (I read the temp wrong on my first hatch in my small brinsea. It was less then a degree low, but they all had deformities and none made it past a few days) Still air should be 102.
You said you switched incubators, but are they the same thermometer/hygrometers? Have they been calibrated recently?
When you say 'died in shell' do you mean before pipping the inner membrane or after?
What incubators do you have? make...model?

 

[mrslb333]

My main incubator which I'm using for the first 18 days is a Covatutto 120 fan assisted cabinet type 100.2 degrees constant and 40% humidity then I put them in my Hovabator still air 100-102 degrees 75% humidity I have 3 digital thermometer/hygrometers in each and an Exo terra thermometer and hygrometer just to make sure and they were all calibrated about 3 months ago.
Most of the eggs have died before pipping inner or outer membrane but looked fully grown although yolk not absorbed.
I'm wondering if it was because I started them off in the Hoverbator which I had real trouble with humidity it would sit at 65% no matter what I tried. The incubator I had before that was just a basic novitel 16 in which the temp and humidity were always fluctuating and I only had one egg out of 12 fail in that one.
I thought it was 99.5 for fan assisted but the manual said 100.5 so I set it at that. I think the ones that were deformed were because of genetics as it was the same batch of Button quail eggs that I got off of Ebay.

 

[Celiandy]

I'm in a similar boat, I feel like I've been doing everything right, there have been a little variance over the weeks, but generally right on. My hatches have been pretty bleak and tragic. I'm going to change incubators to see if that helps but I won't have it ready for awhile and I have about 45 eggs in the incubator now, hopefully doing ok. I hope you get it all straightened out. It is such a bummer to have bad hatches.

 

[icemanchicken]

I just had my first hatch ever. Im using a styrofoam hovabator. humidity was around 90 when they went into lockdown. Ive taken 16 live and well chicks out of the bator and had to breaking out this morning. I came in from working on my outdoor brooder to find that the one that was farthest along was dead and my humidity was down to %30 all of a sudden. I have no idea what caused the drop but it was fast and lethal. The other little guy was dried out so i just finished helping him out, but its too early to tell if he will make it or not.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I am, by no stretch, and incubating expert, but this link, which i read and digested and re-read and meditated on, (no seriously), really helped me. It discusses dry hatching methods. On my second hatch ever, i tried to follow the information i read in this thread, and i had a 96% hatch rate - hatched 23 out of 24 eggs. It might be worth a read.

 

[mrslb333]

Quote:
I read that and was going to try it but the Hovabator humidity was crazy I had 3 mini de- humidifiers in it and it was still 65%. I shall go back and re read it has to be worth a try.

Celiandy sorry to hear about your bad luck hopefully you can find something on here that helps you too.

icemanchicken Congratulations on your babies

sorry to hear about your loss hopefully the one you helped will make it.

I now have 2 Cochins and a miniature Silkie stumbling around my incubator all have some unabsorbed yolk which hopefully will dry over night and I have a few more rocking which is more hopeful than my previous hatches.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
This last time, i used wet rags instead of bothering with those troughs and had a lot better control of the humidity.