Thick shelled and dark colored eggs????

[ChickenCanoe]

I can't candle Penedesenca eggs either.
If I float them to find the air in the round ones I add a teaspoon of bleach to the warm water.
I read on a French Marans club site to set the temp 1.5 degrees higher.
I set mine 1 degree higher for Penes and it worked out pretty good.
Some Marans breeders recommend dropping the temp a degree or two for hatching.

I wouldn't worry about the temp spread so much because the inside of the egg temp will be more stable. Shoot for the middle of the spread.

Another thing I believe with the dark brown eggs is to have the humidity lower than normal during most of the incubation to help evaporation.

 

[RWise]

I have eggs from 3 hens, ameraucana, BCM, and a BR, so they all get the same temp, and this time no touchy the stat! Here's a thought, the digital equipment is to accurate and I worry to much! I am doing a dryer hatch this time, the larger glass put it on 40% (no water in trays 1 or 2) and used half a glass of water. Now to just leave it alone and only add water as we go,,,,,,

 

[RWise]

Candled at day 10, lost 2 eggs, 40 left, all were weighed and are loosing weight, all about the same amount. Will candle again today as they go to lock down!
The 2 eggs that sank look good, had movement in them. No bad smell, humidity has been 35% - 45% with just the glass of water.

 

[aart]

Were you able to see thru both the EE and FBCM when candling?

 

[RWise]

Well, not well, when putting the light (1800 LM LED) on the air cell, that part of the egg was easily enuf seen. However all I could really make out was some veins at that end of the egg, the FBCM eggs were the hardest to see. I did not candle yesterday as they went into lockdown, but there was movement in them, and one could even see them moving after the top went back on. Oh, and no bad smells either! Now I am afraid that I will get 40 new chicks to go with the 14 youngsters in the yard now,,,,,,, I may have to sale off a few.

I did put water in tray 1 and that has given 60% humidity with 1 plug removed.



.Edit: Also this time I am not using warmed water, the water added is room temp. This seems to give a more stable humidity, no spike.

 

[aart]

Any peeping going on in there?

 

[RWise]

First pip on day 19, but only 1, zipped on day 20 and stopped about 2/3 done, chick was stuck.
Second pip on day 20, then just sat their and nothing, also stuck.

At this point I filled tray 2, removed the glasses of water and put both plugs back in. Humidity came up from 65% to 75%, next 8 hatched on their own with out any help! YES!!! 3 more have pipped at 4 am this morning, day 21 starts at 1:30 this afternoon. The first out were from the barred rock, the others have joined in, lets all come out and play!

 

[RWise]

I have upped the humidity to 80%, (removed glasses of water and filled tray 2) chicks started hatching on their own! What I dont get this time is a hatch (1 - 4 chicks) every few hours, still have pips and unpipped eggs, still have motion, I can see them moving. They are scattered all over not next to each other so I dont think its hot or cold spots (bator has a fan), it is also not any one girls eggs. Day 21 is over @ 1:30 this after noon, 22 chicks so far from 40 eggs, lost 1. 17 left to hatch or not,,,

The 2 eggs that sank have both hatched. I have candled this girls eggs still warm and at that time they have no air cell!
The FBCM eggs are not taking any longer than anybody else to hatch.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm guessing thick shells may be just too hard for the chick to break free from.
I also think they can contribute to small air cells because there is less moisture loss. If that's true, then I imagine less oxygen is getting in.

 

[RWise]

I can see them having a harder time getting out, but did not seem to mater to them. It is not just the FBCM eggs that have small to no air cell it is all of them! My thought is to reduce humidity even more the first 10 days to encourage air cell growth. But 2 that had not much for an air cell hatched on their own. (both sank at float test before setting)

I did a float test on the remaining eggs, only 2 moved and they are still in the bator, the still eggs are gone. They appear to have stopped at different stages.IF I counted right I have 27 chicks out of 42 eggs, with 2 left, could be better!