Terrible hatch rates

[LDev]

Maybe. The four that hatched didn't hatch until day 23-25. I'm going to try one more time before throwing in the towel.

Find a good broody to take the stress out of it

 

[BuckleyChick]

Your night temps being that low can absolutely cause affect your hatching rates. Your humidity 45-50% on days 0-18 shouldn't be an issue. There are a few schools of thought on humidity, but plenty of us hatch chicks without any issues with humidity in that range. In the pinned posts, there's a link to a loooonnnngg thread about humidity.

When you took a peek at the unhatched, were they shrink wrapped? Did any internally pip? We're they correctly positioned in the egg?

I have a Grovee temp and humidity monitor that I use in my 360 while hatching (I had to calibrate it), I have another unit I use too (Inkbird ITH-10 from Amazon that I checked for calibration, so I know how far "off" it is from true temp/humidity), and I also keep my home at a constant temp while hatching. Another thing I do is put my incubator on a folded up towel for insulation on the bottom.

 

[TOR]

So, I am new to incubating eggs. I keep hoping my hens go broody because at the end of three weeks, nothing but disappointment almost every time. We've incubated four times now and one time got nothing. This time we had 30 eggs and only 5 hatched, one of the chicks has wry neck. They were also at hatched at day 23-25. I peeled the others open to figure out what the issue is and all but eight were formed (some bled, some came out with yellow yoke, but most had absorbed the yoke - Honestly I really don't know what I'm looking at, I just know it's a fully formed chick). I have the humidity between 45% - 50% 0-18 days and 65% - 70% at lockdown. I used a Farm Innovators 4250 this time. Other times I've used the Nurture Right 360. The temp has been 99.5. I am really discouraged. Is external temp and hygrometer a must and what kinds, do they have to break the bank? Am I not being attentive enough? I'm sure you've guys heard this same dance over and over, I've looked at previous topics and I see that being in a consistent temp room is important, the room that this incubator was in is in the high 60s and can get cold at night. Would this make a huge difference? Any and all advice would be appreciated. I was just so disappointed to open the eggs and one after the other had beautiful little dead chicks in them. THANK YOU for reading!

I have same unit Farm Innovators 4250 bought this spring. I do not add water till day 16 or so. I watch the air cell. I also use a seperate digital thermometer. If the humidity starts running to high above 40 percent I pull one of the red ventilation plugs plugs.
. The incubator is controlled with the built in temp sensor so some cooling at night should not matter.
As said I also use another temp sensor. I have 2 of these from incubator warehouse. They also have memory so as the incubation process goes you can monitor the high and low temps.
My first hatch large eggs over 80 percent bantam eggs poor. I dropped the temp down and ran no water in incubator first 16 days ran 30 to 40 percent humidity. Watched air cells and had 80 percent hatch large eggs and bantam prolly 50 percent. So much better.
Don't give up and do not rely on the temp from the incubator get a second accurate opinion.

https://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html

 

[cloudstreaker]

I have same unit Farm Innovators 4250 bought this spring. I do not add water till day 16 or so. I watch the air cell. I also use a seperate digital thermometer. If the humidity starts running to high above 40 percent I pull one of the red ventilation plugs plugs.
. The incubator is controlled with the built in temp sensor so some cooling at night should not matter.
As said I also use another temp sensor. I have 2 of these from incubator warehouse. They also have memory so as the incubation process goes you can monitor the high and low temps.
My first hatch large eggs over 80 percent bantam eggs poor. I dropped the temp down and ran no water in incubator first 16 days ran 30 to 40 percent humidity. Watched air cells and had 80 percent hatch large eggs and bantam prolly 50 percent. So much better.
Don't give up and do not rely on the temp from the incubator get a second accurate opinion.

https://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html

This was so helpful! Thank you! Dumb question: do you put the thermometer inside the incubator?

 

[cloudstreaker]

Your night temps being that low can absolutely cause affect your hatching rates. Your humidity 45-50% on days 0-18 shouldn't be an issue. There are a few schools of thought on humidity, but plenty of us hatch chicks without any issues with humidity in that range. In the pinned posts, there's a link to a loooonnnngg thread about humidity.

When you took a peek at the unhatched, were they shrink wrapped? Did any internally pip? We're they correctly positioned in the egg?

I have a Grovee temp and humidity monitor that I use in my 360 while hatching (I had to calibrate it), I have another unit I use too (Inkbird ITH-10 from Amazon that I checked for calibration, so I know how far "off" it is from true temp/humidity), and I also keep my home at a constant temp while hatching. Another thing I do is put my incubator on a folded up towel for insulation on the bottom.

I'm sorry I don't know what internal pipped looks like or the correct position. I had to rip the membrane, it wasn't easy to get to the chick, and it was white. The shells also broke into little pieces when I cracked them. Does that mean shrink wrapped?

 

[cloudstreaker]

Find a good broody to take the stress out of it

My thoughts EXACTLY. None of the hens seem interested though

 

[BuckleyChick]

I'm sorry I don't know what internal pipped looks like or the correct position. I had to rip the membrane, it wasn't easy to get to the chick, and it was white. The shells also broke into little pieces when I cracked them. Does that mean shrink wrapped?

Internal pip is when the chick pokes it's beak through the membrane into the air sac in the egg. If the membranes were white, and not semi-translucent and soft, they were too dry. With that, the chicks are essentially shrink wrapped and can't move to pip and break the membrane or shell. Definitely look into another way to monitor the temp and humidity - and always calibrate before use, even if it's a guage you've used before. Hatching is definitely a learning process!

 

[TOR]

This was so helpful! Thank you! Dumb question: do you put the thermometer inside the incubator?

yes I put the probe in, but I keep the unit itself out. The farm innovator I gently run the probe over the existing wires and hang it from the wires

I kinda move it abit in the incubator through the incubation process. Helps me figure hot and cold spots. I use a turner. I first candle at day 7 and also move eggs around the incubator. I never rotate the the eggs a full 360 degrees when handling, I have read could harm the chicks or embryo.
I throw the bad eggs mark the eggs if in question at day 7. I also will draw a little circle showing air cell on some of the eggs before incubation start. Candle again day 11 or so then I will move eggs again. I do not candle all eggs just spot check some and check the eggs in question. I rotate the eggs by moving them over a row. I do this because I am hatching large and small eggs. Does it really help moving the eggs?
I lock down about day 16. I lock down a little early because I have had chicks hatch early. I also have another incubator which is 10 years old and I get temp fluctuation with it. I use a STC 1000 controller with it, but it is old and rickety but still works.

Your problem is temp and humidity.

 

[cloudstreaker]

Thanks everyone! I will get that external thermometer!

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I do this because I am hatching large and small eggs. Does it really help moving the eggs?

Yeah, it helps ensure some eggs don't get stuck in a cooler/hotter spot the whole time. I move mine from the outside in and vice a versa.