So discouraged about incubating :(

[angcurdy]

I have incubated three batches of eggs.

I have read up on temps, humidity and everything!

Everytime I do my lockdown on day 18, I get one or two hatched on day 19, maybe another on day 20. Then NOTHING.

I have cracked the eggs after day 25 passes and almost every egg has a fully developed chick that just did not hatch!!!

Does anyone have any advice? I am so discouraged and I feel so guilty!

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Maybe the temp is just a little to high if your having chicks hatch out 2days early?

I know how you feel I have been incubating eggs for 30 years now and I still get terriable hatches where most eggs develope and die a day or two before they hatch. It does get frusrtating.

Just keep trying

 

[angcurdy]

I have had a couple times that I have found the temperature too high. But it hasn't happened for long periods. I might keep it at 99-100 this time and not 101?

 

[FVRM]

What type of incubator are you using? I know still air incubators can be difficult to hatch with. I really like the brinsea incubators with auto turning. From what i read is that you are having trouble during the hatch days. Those days are all about humidity, so opening the incubator or not having enough water can cause them to day.

 

[keesmom]

What kind of incubator are you using? What temperature are you keeping it at? Where do you keep the humidity? Have you tried the dry hatch method? Are you trying to hatch your own eggs or shipped eggs?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Shipped eggs will have difficulty and sometimes a good percentage will develop and not hatch.

To just put out there your temperature is likely a degree high for them to be 2 days early. This past summer I had a broody hatch only 3 of 5 eggs, other two fully developed but didn't make it out of shell. Her hatch was 2 to 3 days early due to the heat wave we were having and it was very humid.

Search on candling to monitor air sac growth in eggs. A big problem with many poor hatches is far too much humidity during the full 21 day incubation period. That air sac has to develop enough for the chick to breath prior to piping shell or they will drown. This is something easily monitored and no real humidity # is needed as it will vary for every climate (I use 35% then 55% last 3 days and that may not work for you). Simply note what your hygrometer is (calibrated or not) and adjust the humidity if needed for proper air sac growth.




We've all been there with sad results and nobody likes it. Keep plugging away at it and keep some notes so you know what your doing if it increases success or not. You'll have it dialed in in no time. I have the worst luck with shipped eggs! Can incubate like a pro with my own fertile eggs but shipped is always a gamble that the expected chicks and I lose.

 

[Farmer Viola]

What kind of incubator are you using? What temperature are you keeping it at? Where do you keep the humidity? Have you tried the dry hatch method? Are you trying to hatch your own eggs or shipped eggs?

x2

also, I recommend having 2 or 3 thermometers and 2 or 3 hygrometers (measures humidity). I test my incubator with 4 or 5 devices for 3+ days before I incubate to make sure they are reading accurately (reduce to 1 when I set eggs).

Never ever trust the therm/hygrom on the incubator itself, I know mine is 10 degrees and 10% off!

 

[JRGriff]

I have a still air LANOEL8 (cheap) bator. I caused my own temp spike by going on unreliable sensors/readouts. I have since decided to calculate moisture weight loss during the first 10 days to adjust humidity and get a calibrated thermometer to establish the 100 degree temp. I only had my own fertile eggs hatch out of a run that had many shipped eggs in it. it gets frustrating, for sure...be it equipment inaccuracy or hatching egg quality. My last run had 7/22 hatch. In my own limited knowledge...I'm going for a road-trip if I want to get new stock and buy the chickens to lay fert eggs that I can hatch at home. Even this will still be challenging but at least my own eggs will have a better chance with calculated weight loss and separate temp confirmation.