trouble shooting with hatching eggs

[nelson1874]

Hello Everyone

We just bought the new Genesis incubator with automatic turner. We have hatched numerous batches of eggs with our old incubator. This time was the first with an automatic turner. It is day 22 and nothing. Is it possible that we would not get any chicks by the positioning of the eggs? Please help!

 

[Shannon's Chix]

Did you candle the eggs?

 

[nelson1874]

Yes we did on day 18 and we found that 20 of the 42 were clear. We removed the 20 that were clear and kept the remaining. All of our previous hatchs have come from the same rooster and hens and we had very few that were not fertile. We are not too sure what happened this time. Could it have something to do with the automatic turner? We have always had good success with hatches. This time we have a new incubator and automatic turner and nothing, we are concerned that it is the equipment. We double checked the temperature and everything seems fine.

 

[nelson1874]

Can someone help us !!!

 

[joe17]

Its definatley not your turner unless you see that its completely broken. Did you just plug it in and put eggs in it? It says that it is already pre set to 99.5 degrees but it really isnt. You may have to calibrate it. Thats a good incubator so it must be the settings that are all wrong. What does your thermometer and hygrometer read?

 

[nelson1874]

Thermometer says slightly under 100 degrees which we double checked with another thermometer. As for the hygrometer we do not have one we simply followed the instructions and kept the water tought full. I read that the eggs needed to be placed small end down and I do not believe we did this. Could this have something to do with it?

Appreciate your help

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Mine were all on their sides, in plastic baskets resting on a black cloth which kept them from rolling when I hand turned them. At lockdown I put them small end down in egg cartons...just the bottom part. I think the air space where they pip internally is in...or is supposed to be in...the big end.

I'm not sure about this and it is a wild guess but maybe...they pipped internally and since they were upside down they could have drowned?

 

[joe17]

yess! That killed them. No way of getting oxygen and the air sac probly detached....

 

[nelson1874]

Well that stinks! We have already started collected eggs again and we will try again. This time small end down! Thank you for your responses. I will keep you posted.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Did you remove the turner on day 18 and stop turning them and bump up the humidity?

I have 2 Genesis so I can do continuous hatching - one I use for incubating days 1 - 18 with the automatic turner, and I run the humidity around 55. On day 18, I move them to the 2nd Genesis (no turner), and I keep the humidity in there at 75. The temp in both is at 99.5.

Before I bought the 2nd Genesis, on day 18 I would remove the turner and bump the humidity (basically converting it from an incubator to a hatcher).