Temp spike killed 4, 4 hatched, 2 I'm unsure about: How long to wait?

[teddiliza]

Given that 4 of my chicks hatched early on day 19, and thankfully are doing well, I'd seen nothing from the other eggs. So I candled the remaining 6 and had 2 still with a visible vein, the rest had nothing except a dark mass. So I opened 4 with no veins and found of course, perfectly formed chicks except for the eyes in 2 of them, one had its foot smushed against its eye. The membranes seemed very dry, they had not pipped or broken through the membrane at all. The one with the foot smushed against its eye had head down.

So it is day 23, and I have 2 eggs I'm unsure about. How long should I wait before giving up on them? Tomorrow morning I'm pitching them for sure after I open them to investigate.

Thanks. This was my first hatch.


Incubator: LG still air with turner.
Thermometers: 2 (one digital, one dial)

Next time I"m buying a fan to help prevent temperature regulation issues!

 

[horsejody]

How was the humidity? Did you use a hygrometer?

 

[teddiliza]

You know, I did, and the digital hygrometer was way off compared to the dial hygrometer which I got mid hatch d/t frustration with the temperature readings. Tonight I opened up the last 2 eggs which were YUCKY! So I think only 1 was a quitter, and the rest were temp spike victims. The digital thermometer (Accurite my foot!) outside probe reads a full degree lower than the inside probe, even when placed right next to each other! And the accurite humidity kept saying 25 or 35% when the dial hygrometer would read more like 50. I didn't read the post on calibration till after I'd already set the eggs. Grr! I am definitely going to use a non-battery thermometer next time in addition to the dial thermometer. But at least I have 4 cute happy chicks despite it all! I figure 4 out of 10 fertilized eggs can't be too bad for a first time (LUCK).

Thank you all for posting such valuable information and feedback for us first-timers. Now I have to read up on 'cleaning the incubator between hatches.'

Here is my result of my first hatch (posted in some other threads) but a new pic....